For centuries, humans have invented ways to keep the rain off their backs during a downpour.
As early as the 13th century, rubber-tree extracts were used to make clothing impervious (see definition and hear pronunciation below) to the elements.
But the first known raincoat was not created until the late 18th century in London, a city famous for its wet weather.
However, it took a native of another damp climate—Scotland–to hone the idea of a rainproof coat into something we know today: the “Mackintosh.”
It was Charles Macintosh, a chemist, who patented this invention almost 200 years ago–in 1823.
Cool word vocabulary question of the day: Can you think of a new invention that would make you impervious to the rain?
Impervious: Not allowing something (such as water or light) to enter or pass through; impenetrable.
Click here to hear a pronunciation of impervious.