Hi friends! My name is John Boyd Dunlop. I was born on February 5, 1840 in the United Kingdom. During the Victorian Era, I built the first practical tire. Let's go on a quest to see how I built it!

Before I invented the tire, I was a surgeon!

First, I did some research. I found out about this cool, new process called vulcanization, invented by a guy named Charles Goodyear.

Vulcanization is when you harden the tire. You do this by heating and removing the element, sulfur, from the tire's rubber. This way, water and snow won't ruin them (Bellis).

Sulfur is the 16th element in the periodic table!

I wonder how I can use sulfur in tires!

Charles Goodyear!

When I started to build my tire, I found out that a guy named Robert William Thomson had already built one! There goes my idea.

Well, as it turns out Robert's tire was much too much money for anyone to buy.

Get the tire! Only $20!

No that is too much! We would rather walk!

So, I decided to keep making my tire, and I made sure to keep the cost lower than Robert's.

Guess what? It was a great hit! In the last 30 years, 80 million people have bought tires! They are used in cars, bikes, and even shopping carts, making everyone's lives easier.

First practical tire!

Now, let's look at how we make a tire!

Let's make a tire!

Building a tire takes many months of testing and inspection. A tire maker has to carefully check each tire (How a Tire is Made).

When I made tires, I used many machines.

Let's check too see if the tires are in good shape!

One of the machines that I used was the banbury mixer.

A banbury mixer is a machine that mixes materials into a black goo that feels like gum (How a Tire is Made).

Gum Machnie

Imagine having to have goo flavored gum! Eww!

After I use the banbury mixer, I start to assemble the tire.

First, I make an inner tube to protect the tire from air. Then, I put a steel belt around the edge of the tire so that the tire can bend and be flexible. (How a Tire is Made).

That is the steel belt!

At the end, I heat the tire up to completely mold into its form (How a Tire is Made).

Once all this is done, I am ready to sell my tire!