Tomorrow (18th May) marks the date of birth of Thomas Midgley, who made significant contributions to something many of us make use of on a regular basis: petrol. Midgley was the research assistant to Charles Kettering, and the duo were responsible for the addition of the compound tetraethyl lead to petrol. This innovation would have a lasting legacy – although perhaps not in the manner that they may have originally envisioned.
![The Chemistry of Leaded Petrol, Unleaded Petrol & Diesel](https://i0.wp.com/www.compoundchem.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Leaded-Petrol-Unleaded-Petrol-Diesel.png?resize=370%2C208&ssl=1)