October 12, 2006 - Macintosh Trivia

Trivia Question -

On this day in history... October 12, 1823, Charles Macintosh of Scotland sold the very first one of these. What did Charles Macintosh invent and sell?

Trivia Answer -

The Rain Coat

Charles Macintosh (December 29, 1766 - July 25, 1843) was a Scottish chemist and inventor of waterproof fabrics. Charles Macintosh patented his invention for waterproof cloth in 1823. The Mackintosh is a form of waterproof raincoat, first sold in 1824, made out of rubberized fabric. Essentially, Macintosh discovered a method of joining two sheets of fabric together with soluble India rubber and allowing them to dry.

The Mackintosh is named after its Scottish inventor Charles Macintosh: note the added letter 'k' in the name of the garment. The first Mackintosh coats were made in the family's textile factory, Chas Macintosh and Co. of Glasgow. But in 1830 the company merged with the clothing company of Thomas Hancock in Manchester. Hancock had also been experimenting with rubber-coated fabrics since 1819.

Early coats had problems with smell and a tendency to melt in hot weather, but Hancock further improved their waterproof fabrics, patenting a method for vulcanizing rubber in 1843, which solved many of the problems.

Although the Mackintosh style of coat has become generic, a genuine Mackintosh coat should be made from rubberized or rubber laminated material.

. . . . . . . . . . NET CHECK IN's . . . . . . . . . .

Here's the list of folks that checked in to tonight's net along with their answers to the trivia question. Congratulations to all those who had the correct answer to tonight's question! A special Gold Star to KE6CZH for the most original (but wrong...) answer.

* WB6A - Pat - Computer

* AC6AJ - Lee - No Check In

* WB6ATV - Ron - Overcoat

* KE6CZH - Robert - Carved First Pumpkin

* KG6DBL* - Bill - No Check In

* W6DTS - Ted - Raincoats

* K6FCC - Khalil - Raincoat

* KF6GKR - Terry - No Check In

* N6HY - Ernie - No Check In

* KB6IS - Madeline - Raincoat

* KE6IYC - Brian - No Check In

* KD6JEV - John - Raincoat

* N6KAS - Andy - Raincoat

* KG6KTC - Leon - Bagpipe

* NY6L - Jay - Macintosh Apple

* K6LMN - Roger - Raincoat

* KE6MSS - Thomas - No Check In

* K6MSU - Ron - No Check In

* KG6MZU - Walt - No Check In

* KD6NIW - Oliver - No Check In

* W6NVY - Gary - Raincoat

* KG6NWJ - Barry - Sweater

* KD6OBM - Jason - Raincoat

* N6OEC - Phil - No Check In

* KF6PIH - Scott - Camera

* K6QVZ - Joe - Raincoat

* KG6RDA - Sidney - Apple Juice (Checked in by ZQM)

* AD6UP* - Louie - Raincoat

* WA6USL* - Murray - Raincoat

* KG6WXY - Ralph - No Check In

* KF6YBM - Henry - Raincoat

* KF6ZQM - Harry - Apple Juice

* N6ZZK - Theo - Raincoat

* KD6IYJ - Nick - Umbrella

Thanks to all for their support and check in's to the net.

73, de N6CIZ