December 17, 1895 – Death of János Irinyi, inventor of matches

After exhaustive research, he managed to mix phosphorus with lead dioxide, instead of using potassium chlorate, as was being done until then, thus inventing a silent and non-explosive match.

He patented it on October 24, 1836, and sold his invention to a matchmaker. However, after studying in Berlin (Germany), he returned to his native country and founded the first match factories in the city of Pest (in present-day Budapest).

In addition, he published several articles on Chemistry and a textbook for schools entitled "The Elements of Chemistry".

In 1848, he played a leading role in the revolution, directing the manufacture of guns and gunpowder and supervising the Hungarian factories. In the end, the revolution failed and Irinyi ended up a prisoner. After leaving prison, he retired from politics and devoted himself entirely to science.

He is known for being the inventor of matches, but he was also one of the first to spread general knowledge about chemistry and influence the development of the chemical language in his country.

If you want to know more about this scientist, click on the following link: János Irinyi