By Richard T. Cartwright, PE, CHMM, (IHMM, AHMP and APICS) Fellow.
Richard died April 21, 2025; honoring the work he did with hazmat history is one small way to keep his memory alive.
The saying, “Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it” is more than a cliché. It is a reminder that we must constantly be learning from the past. Here’s a look back at major historical events that happened today in the world of hazardous materials.
December 5, 1974
The television news program 60 Minutes aired the segment “Caution, Drinking Water may be Dangerous to Your Health.” Reporter Dan Rather presented health concerns for 66 trace organic chemicals in the New Orleans water supply. Consumer Reports articles on cancer deaths and the use of Mississippi River water for water supplies ultimately led to the passage of the Safe Drinking Water Act.
December 5, 1969
ARPANET grew to four nodes when DARPA (U.S. Department of Defense’s Advanced Research Projects Agency) connected computer network nodes at four universities: University of California, Los Angeles, Stanford Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara and the University of Utah. This “network of networks” evolved into what is now known as the Internet.
December 5, 1935
The first large-scale hydroponicum was established in Montebello, California, by Ernest Brundin and Frank Lyon, who installed a circulating system to grow plants without soil. The benefits of chemiculture include higher yields in less space, which can be used even in desert gardening, quicker growth and attracts fewer diseases. The word hydroponics was coined by Professor Gericke at UCLA to describe growing plants with their roots suspended in water containing mineral nutrients. It comes from two Greek words: “hydro” (water) and “ponos” (to work, labor).
December 5, 1933
The era of national prohibition of alcohol in America finally ended with ratification of the 21st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which repealed the 18th Amendment. Prohibition began on January 29, 1920, when the “manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors for beverage purposes” was prohibited. The Volstead Act provided for enforcement of Prohibition by the Treasury Department. In its first six months, thousands of illicit stills run by bootleggers were destroyed. However, federal agents and police did little more than slow the flow of booze, and organized crime flourished in America. Large-scale bootleggers built criminal empires out of illegal distribution efforts, and federal and state governments lost billions in tax revenue. In most urban areas, individual consumption of alcohol was largely tolerated and drinkers gathered at speakeasies, prohibition-era term for saloons. It is the dose that makes the poison.
December 5, 1879
Clyde Cessna, American aviator and aircraft manufacturer, was born. He invented the cantilever wing, the V-shaped tail configuration, and the simple flexible monoplane design.
December 5, 1876
Fire broke out at a Brooklyn, New York Theater, where 295 people died. The victims perished from burns and smoke inhalation or were trampled to death. A gas light ignited scenery stored behind the stage. Stagehands noticed quickly spreading flames. Unfortunately, there were no fire hoses or water buckets at hand. A narrow staircase was the only exit from the balcony (there were no fire escapes). Bedlam occurred when someone shouted “fire!”
December 5, 1846
Christian Schönbein, Swiss inventor, was issued a U.S. Patent for guncotton. His process uses a mixture of concentrated acids to convert cellulose present in well-cleaned cottonwool, C6H10O5 into cellulose nitrate C6H8(NO2)2O5 (nitrocellulose). In 1891, James Dewar and Frederick Abel incorporated nitrocellulose in a mixture that could be handled more safely. Until WW II, this invention replaced gunpowder on the battlefield, where it had been used for five centuries. It was also useful for blasting because it generates about six times the gas of an equal volume of gunpowder and produces less smoke and heat.
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