William Henry Perkin was an English chemist best known for his discovery, at the age of 18 of the first aniline dye, mauveine.He was born in the East End of London, the youngest of the seven children of George Perkin, a successful carpenter.He was baptised...

Mauveine, also known as aniline purple and Perkin's mauve, was the first synthetic chemical dye. Today, it is used to make purple clothes and mechanical components.