Leo Baekeland

Also known as Leo Henricus Arthur Baekeland, Leo Hendrick Baekeland, Leo Hendrik Baekeland, L. H. Baekeland

Belgium American inventor (1863-1944)

AI overview

Leo Baekeland was a Belgian-American inventor who lived from 1863 to 1944 and made important contributions to chemistry and industrial innovation. His work laid the foundation for modern materials science and manufacturing processes that continue to influence everyday products.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Authority record · VIAF

Lifespan: 1863–1944
Nationality: US, BE
Role / Field: Wynalazcy i odkrywcy, Inventor, Chemicy, Nauki przyrodnicze, Chemia
Language: mul, dut
Gender: Male

Recorded by 17 libraries

via VIAF · OCLC

Wikidata facts

Instance of: human
Given name: Leo
Gender: male
Citizenship: United States
Place of birth: Ghent
Place of death: Beacon
Occupation: businessperson
Educated at: Ghent University
Employer: Ghent University
Languages spoken: Dutch
Native language: Dutch
Award: William H. Nichols Medal
Notable work: Bakelite
Field of work: technology
Image: Leo Hendrik Baekeland, 1916.jpg
Residence: Coconut Grove

Show 9 more facts

Commons category: Leo Hendrik Baekeland
date of death: 1944-02-23
date of birth: 1863-11-14
place of burial: Sleepy Hollow Cemetery
manner of death: natural causes
cause of death: cerebral hemorrhage
member of: American Chemical Society
name in native language: Leo Henricus Arthur Baekeland
birth name: Leo Henricus Arthur Baekeland

Sources (7)

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Encyclopedic overview

Leo Hendrik Baekeland HonFRSE (/ˈbeɪklænd/ BAYK-land, Dutch: [ˈleːjoː ˈɦɛndrɪɡ ˈbaːkəlɑnt]; November 14, 1863 – February 23, 1944) was a Belgian chemist. Educated in Belgium and Germany, he spent most of his career in the United States. He is best known for the inventions of Velox photographic paper in 1893, and Bakelite in 1907. He has been called "The Father of the Plastics Industry" for his invention of Bakelite, an inexpensive, non-flammable and versatile plastic, which marked the beginning of the modern plastics industry.

Early life

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Leo Baekeland” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.