35. Goodyear Rubber
- Invented By: Charles Goodyear
Charles Goodyear invented something we now use a massive amount of all over the world, vulcanized rubber. He received the U.S. Patent for this on June 15, 1844. This was a chemical treatment for rubber, using sulfur or something similar to it, that hardened the overall rubber to make it useful for numerous products.

Goodyear had already invented the chemical process to create and manufacture properly pliable, moldable, & waterproof rubber. The vulcanization made the rubber harder, but Goodyear wanted it to be even more stable too. This was when he applied heat, making the entire chemical process even easier and changing the game. The Goodyear rubber is now used in tires as well as shoes, rafts, gloves, toys, medical equipment, etc. However, synthetic rubber is slowly becoming popular.