When German chemist Joseph Wilbrand first made TNT in 1863, his intention was to create a honey-coloured yellow dye to be used in clothing. For some years, its explosive qualities weren't really picked up, and in the UK it was even removed from Explosives Act because it was so insensitive and difficult to blow up. However, it's this insensitivity that helped it become the explosive of choice throughout World Wars I and II. At the Battle of Jutland in 1916, the German army used TNT-filled explosives with a specially-designed fuse that meant they only exploded once they penetrated enemy ships, causing much more damage than old-fashioned lyddite explosives which blew up upon contact with the outside of the ship. TNT's use in military weaponry exploded after that, and it went on to be used in the majority of explosive equipment in World War II - including mortar shells, hand grenades, and atomic bombs. To think that all this started from a guy who want to dye his shirt (or trousers?) yellow...
Gamer, Researcher of strange things.
I'm a writer-editor hybrid whose writings on video games, technology and movies can be found across the internet. I've even ventured into the realm of current affairs on occasion but, unable to face reality, have retreated into expatiating on things on screens instead.
