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.
May 23, 1994
Explanation for the “deadly flesh-eating bug” outbreak in England was offered by British doctors. The deadly disease was attributed to a cluster of unusually intense infections by common streptococcus bacterium. Patients had been injured by a toxin that dissolved flesh and fat, which came from the excessive bacteria’s attack. Normally, streptococcus is associated with simple and common sore throats and fever.
May 23, 1960
A tsunami caused by an 8.5-magnitude earthquake on the previous day off the coast of Chile traveled across the Pacific Ocean; 61 people died in Hawaii. The tsunami continued to race farther west across the Pacific. Ten thousand miles away from the earthquake’s epicenter the crushing wave struck Japan, where 180 people died and 50,000 became homeless.
May 23, 1954
Keith Campbell, a British embryologist, was born. He led a team of scientists in Scotland that produced the first mammal clone in 1996, a lamb called Dolly, by nuclear transfer from an adult’s cell.
May 23, 1908
A dirigible exploded over San Francisco Bay; 16 passengers fell. Fortunately, none died. This came 29 years before the more famous Hindenburg disaster. Hydrogen is lighter than helium, but is much more hazardous.
May 23, 1760
Benjamin Franklin invented bifocals (combination of both concave and convex lenses) used for both types of vision correction. He used a top lens for distant viewing and a lower lens for reading.
Historical hazardous materials management events are posted 365 days a year at this LinkedIn discussion group.
