1907: In Belgium, an inventive chemist named Leo Baekeland combines the fossil-fuel derivatives phenol and formaldehyde to produce a hard, mouldable substance that will change the course of ...

A 1930 Bakelite Ashtray. Bakelite was developed in 1907-1909 by Belgian chemist Dr. Leo Baekeland. One of the first plastics made from synthetic components, Bakelite was used for its electrically ...