Stephanie Kwolek, was born July 31, 1923, and died on June 18, 2014. As a chemist at DuPont, Kwolek accidentally invented Kevlar while attempting to develop a lighter fiber for car tires. She earned a patent in 1966. Kevlar is lightweight synthetic fiber which is five times stronger than steel and is used in bulletproof vest and body armour. As a result, Kwolek was awarded DuPont’s Lavoisier medal. The DuPont Lavoisier Medal honors men and women throughout the history of DuPont whose extraordinary technical achievements have resulted in significant business impact and enduring scientific value. Kwolek was the only female employee to have received this award. To date, Kwolek is the just the fourth woman included in the National Inventors Hall of Fame. Additionaly, Stephanie Kwolek has been awarded the National Medal of Technology, the IRI Achievement and the Perkin Medal.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephanie_Kwolek
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-27951043
http://news.nationalpost.com/news/stephanie-kwolek-inventor-of-kevlar-and-pioneer-in-male-dominated-field-dies-at-90
