1624 Patent law protecting inventions in England 1662 Robert Boyle 1665 Isaac Newton 1746 John Roebuck 1767 Coal gas produced 1772 Nitrogen discovered 1774 Oxygen discovered 1774 Chlorine discovered 1776 Hydrogen discovered 1791 Leblanc process invented 1796 Sulphuric acid and chlorine made in Glasgow 1798 Smallpox vaccine developed 1802 William Losh makes soda 1803 John Dalton publishes his atomic theory 1807 Sodium and potassium isolated 1813 Michael Faraday's period at the Royal Institution 1839 Goodyear introduces vulcanisation of rubber 1842 Synthetic superphosphate fertiliser produced 1847 Chloroform first used as general anaesthetic 1855 Phosphorus manufactured by Albright & Wilson 1856 Synthetic dye produced 1861 Ammonia-soda process patented 1862 Parkes makes first semi-synthetic plastic 1863 Alkali Act is passed 1867 Carbolic acid introduced 1869 Periodic Table of the Elements devised 1871 Nitro-explosives first produced

1874 Solvay ammonia-soda process in Cheshire set up 1875 Explosives Act 1880 Sulphuric acid production introduced 1880 Chemical engineering developed 1893 Aspirin first made 1894 Chlorine and caustic soda produced in Oldbury 1896 Radioactivity discoveries 1897 Indigo first made on an industrial scale 1906 Alkali and Works etc Regulation Act 1910 Bakelite invented 1911 Haber develops process for making ammonia 1913 Niels Bohr proposes model of the atom 1915 Chemicals used as war gases 1920 Organic chemical reactions model developed 1920 Systematisation of chemical engineering developed 1922 Chemical Works Regulations 1926 ICI formed 1928 Penicillin discovered 1930 Polystyrene developed 1930 Polymides discovered 1931 Acrylic polymers discovered 1931 Chemical bonding explained 1932 Polyethylene discovered 1935 Carcinogenic Substances Regulations 1938 Teepol produced 1939 Synthetic insecticide developed 1939 DDT developed

1950 Organic chemical reactivity interpreted 1951 Carl Djerassi synthesises norethindrone 1953 Double-helix structure of DNA is established 1953 Dorothy Hodgkin establishes structure of Vitamin B 1953 Sanger determines amino acid sequence of protein 1954 Guilio Nata in Milan synthesises polypropylene 1956 Clean Air Act 1960 Steroid molecules used as oral contraceptives 1962 Agricultural chemicals' concern 1963 James Black discovers beta-blocker heart drugs 1970 Silicon chips for microelectronics introduced 1972 Genetic engineering starting point 1974 Cyclohexane explosion kills 28 people 1974 Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 Control of Pollution Act 1976 Contamination in Seveso, Italy 1980 Liquid crystals introduced 1984 Responsible Care programme initiated in Canada 1984 Methyl isocyanate leak in India kills 2000 1984 Control of Industrial Major Accident Hazards Act 1985 Buckminsterfullerene discovered 1986 Superconductivity in copper oxides discovered 1988 Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) 1989 Environmental Protection Act 1990 New decade, new emphasis 1995 Environment Act