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Charles Macintosh
Charles Macintosh.jpg
Charles Macintosh
Born 29 December 1766
Glasgow, Scotland
Died 25 July 1843(1843-07-25) (aged 76)
Glasgow, Scotland
Nationality British
Occupation Engineer
Engineering career
Significant design Waterproof fabric
Invented the waterproof raincoat in 1824
The grave of Charles Macintosh, Glasgow Cathedral (left). Provost Anderson's tomb, Glasgow Cathedral (right): Macintosh is listed on the right as his great grandson.

Charles Macintosh (born December 29, 1766 – died July 25, 1843) was a Scottish chemist. He is famous for inventing waterproof fabric. The Mackintosh raincoat is named after him.

About Charles Macintosh

Charles Macintosh was born in Glasgow, Scotland. His parents were George Macintosh and Mary Moore. He first worked as a clerk.

But Charles loved science, especially chemistry. Before he turned 20, he quit his job. He decided to make chemicals instead. He was very good at this and created many new ways to make things.

The Waterproof Fabric

Charles experimented with a substance called naphtha. This led to his big invention: waterproof fabric. His special idea was to glue two pieces of cloth together. He used natural rubber as the glue.

The naphtha helped to make the rubber soft and sticky. This naphtha came from coal tar. A company called Bonnington Chemical Works supplied it.

Family and Achievements

In 1790, Charles married Mary Fisher. She was the daughter of a Glasgow merchant. They had one son, George Macintosh.

In 1823, Charles became a member of the Royal Society. This was because of his important discoveries in chemistry. In 1828, he joined a business with James Beaumont Neilson. They used Neilson's invention called the hot blast. This invention helped save a lot of fuel in factories.

Charles Macintosh passed away in 1843. He was buried in the Glasgow Cathedral graveyard. His name is on a monument there.

His Legacy

Charles Macintosh's invention changed how people stayed dry. The Mackintosh raincoat is still well-known today.

On December 29, 2016, Google celebrated his 250th birthday. They made a special Google Doodle showing him in the rain.

See also

A robot friend! In Spanish: Charles Macintosh para niños

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