Vulcanized Rubber

Charles Goodyear had been waiting years for a happy accident when it finally occurred.  Goodyear spent a decade finding ways to make rubber easier to work with while being resistant to heat and cold.  Nothing was having the effect he wanted.

One day he spilled a mixture of rubber, sulfur and lead onto a hot stove. The heat charred the mixture, but didn't ruin it. When Goodyear picked up the accident, he noticed that the mixture had hardened but was still quite usable.

At last! The breakthrough he had been waiting for! His vulcanized rubber is used in everything from tires, to shoes, to hockey pucks.