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.
February 27, 1943
An explosion occurred at a coal mine in Montana, where 74 miners died. The exact cause of the explosion is not known, though some miners claimed methane gas had built up in some abandoned shafts and was ignited after a cave-in.
February 27, 1940
Carbon-14, a radioactive isotope with a half-life of 5,700 years, was discovered at the University of California Radiation Laboratory. It occurs naturally, arising from cosmic rays. It is used as a tracer in studies of metabolism and in radiocarbon dating (method of determining age of carbonaceous, once-living material).
February 27, 1934
Ralph Nader, American auto safety and consumer advocate, was born. In 1965, his book “Unsafe at Any Speed” criticized the auto industry for its poor safety standards. Nader later became an advocate for improved nuclear power, environmental, and food and drug safety.
February 27, 1900
Felix Hoffman, German chemist, was issued a U.S. patent for acetyl salicylic acid. Hoffmann had discovered the chemical compound in 1897 while working as a researcher at the Bayer Company. It was marketed as Aspirin, the familiar pain reliever, which at the time was a trademarked name.
February 27, 1891
David Sarnoff, American pioneer in development of radio and television broadcasting, was born. He was the first general manager of RCA and founded the television network NBC. He steered NBC into the world of television, first black and white, then color.
February 27, 1879
Saccharin, the artificial sweetener, was discovered by Constantin Fahlberg at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. With his hands unwashed after leaving his laboratory work, during a meal, he accidentally discovered its intensely sweet taste when his fingers touched his lips.
February 27, 1869
Alice Hamilton, American pathologist known for her research on industrial diseases, was born. By actively publicizing the danger industrial toxic substances posed to workers’ health, she contributed to passage of workmen’s compensation laws and development of safer working conditions. As special investigator for the U.S. Bureau of Labor, she began field investigations of mines, mills and smelters. Concentrating first on lead, she compiled statistics dramatically documenting high worker mortality and morbidity rates. She later did the same for aniline dyes, picric acid, arsenic and carbon monoxide.
Historical hazardous materials management events are posted 365 days a year at this LinkedIn discussion group.
