#18: Chewing Gum
In the 1860s, Thomas Adams wasn’t trying to invent something that would drive schoolteachers nuts for the next century and a half. He was actually trying to develop a new type of tire rubber using sap – or chicle – from the sapodilla tree. Adams failed miserably at his task, but what he did next was both weird and serendipitous. Channeling his inner toddler, Adams put a wad of his messy chicle sap into his mouth. It did not break down like food does, had a pleasing flavor, and a chewy texture. He added sweetener and more flavoring and sold his mistake as chewing gum.
