40 Incredible Inventions That Were Born Out of Chance

People have been dying clothing for nearly as long as they have been wearing it. For thousands of years, dyes came from natural sources, primarily various plants, berries, and vegetables. They tended not to create very strong colors, and specific colors were hard to get and very expensive.

However, in the 1800s, a young chemistry student in Britain attempted to synthesize quinine used in treating malaria. Instead, he accidentally created a bright purple substance and realized he could use his mistake to develop the world’s first synthetic dyes.