Did you know that the pneumatic tyre was invented by a veterinarian?

Scottish veterinarian, John Boyd Dunlop, began experimenting with an air-filled tube when it was recommended that his son take up cycling for exercise. The bumpy cobbled streets made cycling quite uncomfortable and Dunlop thought he would find a way to soften the ride.

He formed a company with W H Du Cros and a very profitable enterprise began. Not only were bicycles all the rage at the time, but also, without this key invention, the motor industry would not have developed so quickly.

Dunlop sold his patent rights to Du Cros and only made a small profit from his invention. He settled in Ireland and ran a local drapery.