Monday 19th September 1887

Born on this day, Dr. Graham Edgar, developer of the octane rating system, was born in Fayetteville, Arkansas,. Although he may not be a household name, evidence of Edgar’s work lines every highway in America. His rating system measures a fuel’s ability to resist any form of abnormal combustion, in other words, its ability to burn cleanly. Eighty-eight and 90 are the normal ratings for everyday unleaded gasoline, while racing gasoline will often have a rating as high as 115. Almost every gas pump in America sports an octane rating sticker.