Throughout our daily lives, there is a substance used countless times, so many times in fact, that we may not even realize its importance. So what is this material, you may be asking yourself? Cement? Glass? Wood? Actually, it is a substance that was originally known as Parkesine, and later as Celluloid. Today, we have a much simpler name for this amazing substance that has literally shaped life as we know it: plastic. From our tables to our kitchens; from our stoves to the front lines of combat; from the operating room to the clothes on our backs, plastic has become an institution in the American life.

At the 1862 Great International Expo in London, Alexander Parkes unveiled the first synthetic plastic, which the public christened "Parkesine." Parkesine was derived from cellulose, a natural chemical found in the cell walls of plants. The main selling point of Parkesine was...