In 1856, after yet another day of disappointing experiments, a chemist named William Henry Perkin was cleaning up his glassware when he made a discovery that would harken a new — and colorful — era of science and industry. Just 18 years old, Perkin was a promising young student in a prestigious lab at the Royal College of Chemistry in London and he was supposed to be figuring out a way to make a chemical compound called quinine. Despite his best efforts, Perkin was coming up empty — or rather — producing a lot of dirty dishes with little to show for it. But he did notice that there was a curious goop in one of his flasks, and it turned a brilliant shade of purple in the wash. Intrigued, Perkin decided to try dyeing a swatch of silk with his serendipitous solution. Although he had failed yet again to produce quinine, Perkin had created the very first synthetic dye and launched a scientific industry that is still bringing new drugs and dyes to market today.

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