CHEMIST
Thomas Midgley Jr.
1889 - 1944
Thomas Midgley Jr.
Thomas Midgley Jr. (May 18, 1889 – November 2, 1944) was an American mechanical and chemical engineer. He played a major role in developing leaded gasoline (tetraethyl lead) and some of the first chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), better known in the United States by the brand name Freon; both products were later banned from common use due to their harmful impact on human health and the environment. Read more on Wikipedia
Since 2007, the English Wikipedia page of Thomas Midgley Jr. has received more than 1,543,254 page views. His biography is available in 31 different languages on Wikipedia (up from 25 in 2019). Thomas Midgley Jr. is the 285th most popular chemist (up from 331st in 2019), the 1,805th most popular biography from United States (up from 2,791st in 2019) and the 60th most popular American Chemist.
Memorability Metrics
1.5M
Page Views (PV)
58.65
Historical Popularity Index (HPI)
31
Languages Editions (L)
4.36
Effective Languages (L*)
3.55
Coefficient of Variation (CV)
Among CHEMISTS
Among chemists, Thomas Midgley Jr. ranks 285 out of 602. Before him are Robert H. Grubbs, Georg Brandt, Carl Auer von Welsbach, Henry Taube, Friedlieb Ferdinand Runge, and Andreas Sigismund Marggraf. After him are Rasmus Bartholin, John Pople, John Polanyi, Erwin Chargaff, Ben Feringa, and Alexander Butlerov.
Most Popular Chemists in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsRobert H. Grubbs
1942 - 2021
HPI: 58.80
Rank: 279
Georg Brandt
1694 - 1768
HPI: 58.79
Rank: 280
Carl Auer von Welsbach
1858 - 1929
HPI: 58.74
Rank: 281
Henry Taube
1915 - 2005
HPI: 58.72
Rank: 282
Friedlieb Ferdinand Runge
1795 - 1867
HPI: 58.71
Rank: 283
Andreas Sigismund Marggraf
1709 - 1782
HPI: 58.68
Rank: 284
Thomas Midgley Jr.
1889 - 1944
HPI: 58.65
Rank: 285
Rasmus Bartholin
1625 - 1698
HPI: 58.65
Rank: 286
John Pople
1925 - 2004
HPI: 58.62
Rank: 287
John Polanyi
1929 - Present
HPI: 58.58
Rank: 288
Erwin Chargaff
1905 - 2002
HPI: 58.58
Rank: 289
Ben Feringa
1951 - Present
HPI: 58.52
Rank: 290
Alexander Butlerov
1828 - 1886
HPI: 58.50
Rank: 291
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1889, Thomas Midgley Jr. ranks 56. Before him are Frank Lentini, Erik Jan Hanussen, Vera Mukhina, Stanislav Kosior, Sophie Taeuber-Arp, and Beno Gutenberg. After him are Richard Glücks, Eberhard von Mackensen, Prince Erik, Duke of Västmanland, Zoltán Tildy, Gunnar Gunnarsson, and Pierre Reverdy. Among people deceased in 1944, Thomas Midgley Jr. ranks 83. Before him are Milan Hodža, Jakob von Uexküll, James McKeen Cattell, Viktor Ullmann, E. M. Antoniadi, and Vera Menchik. After him are Paul Otlet, Bernardino Machado, Sergei Bulgakov, Harold Lowe, Joseph P. Kennedy Jr., and Felix Nussbaum.
Others Born in 1889
Go to all RankingsFrank Lentini
POLITICIAN
1889 - 1966
HPI: 59.68
Rank: 50
Erik Jan Hanussen
OCCULTIST
1889 - 1933
HPI: 59.66
Rank: 51
Vera Mukhina
SCULPTOR
1889 - 1953
HPI: 59.65
Rank: 52
Stanislav Kosior
POLITICIAN
1889 - 1939
HPI: 59.52
Rank: 53
Sophie Taeuber-Arp
PAINTER
1889 - 1943
HPI: 59.38
Rank: 54
Beno Gutenberg
GEOLOGIST
1889 - 1960
HPI: 58.84
Rank: 55
Thomas Midgley Jr.
CHEMIST
1889 - 1944
HPI: 58.65
Rank: 56
Richard Glücks
POLITICIAN
1889 - 1945
HPI: 58.50
Rank: 57
Eberhard von Mackensen
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1889 - 1969
HPI: 58.48
Rank: 58
Prince Erik, Duke of Västmanland
POLITICIAN
1889 - 1918
HPI: 58.20
Rank: 59
Zoltán Tildy
POLITICIAN
1889 - 1961
HPI: 58.16
Rank: 60
Gunnar Gunnarsson
WRITER
1889 - 1975
HPI: 57.84
Rank: 61
Pierre Reverdy
WRITER
1889 - 1960
HPI: 57.84
Rank: 62
Others Deceased in 1944
Go to all RankingsMilan Hodža
POLITICIAN
1878 - 1944
HPI: 59.71
Rank: 77
Jakob von Uexküll
BIOLOGIST
1864 - 1944
HPI: 59.59
Rank: 78
James McKeen Cattell
PSYCHOLOGIST
1860 - 1944
HPI: 59.55
Rank: 79
Viktor Ullmann
COMPOSER
1898 - 1944
HPI: 59.50
Rank: 80
E. M. Antoniadi
ASTRONOMER
1870 - 1944
HPI: 59.04
Rank: 81
Vera Menchik
CHESS PLAYER
1906 - 1944
HPI: 58.83
Rank: 82
Thomas Midgley Jr.
CHEMIST
1889 - 1944
HPI: 58.65
Rank: 83
Paul Otlet
INVENTOR
1868 - 1944
HPI: 58.65
Rank: 84
Bernardino Machado
POLITICIAN
1851 - 1944
HPI: 58.65
Rank: 85
Sergei Bulgakov
PHILOSOPHER
1871 - 1944
HPI: 58.63
Rank: 86
Harold Lowe
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1882 - 1944
HPI: 58.60
Rank: 87
Joseph P. Kennedy Jr.
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1915 - 1944
HPI: 58.21
Rank: 88
Felix Nussbaum
PAINTER
1904 - 1944
HPI: 58.20
Rank: 89
In United States
Among people born in United States, Thomas Midgley Jr. ranks 1,805 out of 20,380. Before him are Jim Caviezel (1968), Bill Pullman (1953), Stevie Ray Vaughan (1954), Harry Stack Sullivan (1892), Max Emmerich (1879), and Billy Zane (1966). After him are Zack Snyder (1966), Christopher A. Sims (1942), Sonny Rollins (1930), Al Lettieri (1928), Paul Wolfowitz (1943), and Philip Abelson (1913).
Others born in United States
Go to all RankingsJim Caviezel
ACTOR
1968 - Present
HPI: 58.67
Rank: 1,799
Bill Pullman
ACTOR
1953 - Present
HPI: 58.67
Rank: 1,800
Stevie Ray Vaughan
MUSICIAN
1954 - 1990
HPI: 58.66
Rank: 1,801
Harry Stack Sullivan
PSYCHOLOGIST
1892 - 1949
HPI: 58.66
Rank: 1,802
Max Emmerich
ATHLETE
1879 - 1956
HPI: 58.66
Rank: 1,803
Billy Zane
ACTOR
1966 - Present
HPI: 58.66
Rank: 1,804
Thomas Midgley Jr.
CHEMIST
1889 - 1944
HPI: 58.65
Rank: 1,805
Zack Snyder
FILM DIRECTOR
1966 - Present
HPI: 58.65
Rank: 1,806
Christopher A. Sims
ECONOMIST
1942 - Present
HPI: 58.65
Rank: 1,807
Sonny Rollins
MUSICIAN
1930 - Present
HPI: 58.64
Rank: 1,808
Al Lettieri
ACTOR
1928 - 1975
HPI: 58.64
Rank: 1,809
Paul Wolfowitz
POLITICIAN
1943 - Present
HPI: 58.63
Rank: 1,810
Philip Abelson
PHYSICIST
1913 - 2004
HPI: 58.62
Rank: 1,811
Among CHEMISTS In United States
Among chemists born in United States, Thomas Midgley Jr. ranks 60. Before him are Dudley R. Herschbach (1932), Richard Smalley (1943), Edward W. Morley (1838), Edwin G. Krebs (1918), Martin Rodbell (1925), and Robert H. Grubbs (1942). After him are Richard R. Schrock (1945), Earl Wilbur Sutherland Jr. (1915), Thomas Cech (1947), Alexander Shulgin (1925), Alice Ball (1892), and William E. Moerner (1953).
Dudley R. Herschbach
1932 - Present
HPI: 59.54
Rank: 54
Richard Smalley
1943 - 2005
HPI: 59.49
Rank: 55
Edward W. Morley
1838 - 1923
HPI: 59.46
Rank: 56
Edwin G. Krebs
1918 - 2009
HPI: 59.24
Rank: 57
Martin Rodbell
1925 - 1998
HPI: 58.95
Rank: 58
Robert H. Grubbs
1942 - 2021
HPI: 58.80
Rank: 59
Thomas Midgley Jr.
1889 - 1944
HPI: 58.65
Rank: 60
Richard R. Schrock
1945 - Present
HPI: 58.32
Rank: 61
Earl Wilbur Sutherland Jr.
1915 - 1974
HPI: 57.94
Rank: 62
Thomas Cech
1947 - Present
HPI: 57.44
Rank: 63
Alexander Shulgin
1925 - 2014
HPI: 57.39
Rank: 64
Alice Ball
1892 - 1916
HPI: 57.19
Rank: 65
William E. Moerner
1953 - Present
HPI: 56.90
Rank: 66