Wednesday 15th September 1909

Charles F. Kettering of Detroit, Michigan, applied for a patent on his ignition system. But the ignition system was only the first of Kettering’s many automobile improvements, a distinguished list that includes lighting systems, lacquer finishes, antilock fuels, leaded gasoline, and the electric starter. His company Delco (Dayton Engineering Laboratories Company) was a leader in automotive technology and later became a subsidiary of General Motors (GM). Kettering himself served as vice president and director of research for GM from 1920 to 1947.