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 30, 1911
The inaugural Indianapolis 500 was run with a 40-car field at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indiana. At an average winning speed of almost 75 mph, only a dozen cars finished this grueling test of automotive technology. Created to showcase the new sport of automobile racing, early contests are all about engine endurance. It is now the largest sporting event in the world, attended by 270,000 spectators annually. Numerous automotive and hazardous materials management advances have resulted as a byproduct of this competitive event.
May 30, 1909
Norris Bradbury, American physicist, was born. He succeeded Robert Oppenheimer, as director of Los Alamos, New Mexico Scientific Laboratory. He guided the facility’s conversion from exclusively wartime nuclear bomb development to peacetime research in other fields such as physics, chemistry, metallurgy, space technology, plus biological and medical health.
May 30, 1898
Morris Travers, English chemist, discovered a brand new element, krypton. Its name comes from the Greek word for “hidden.” It was found in a residual fraction separated from liquefied air.
Historical hazardous materials management events are posted 365 days a year at this LinkedIn discussion group.
