1879:
Russian chemist Constantin Fahlberg was analyzing coal tar extracts in Ira Remsen's lab at Johns Hopkins, when he noticed licking his fingers to turn the page in his lab book created an intense sweet taste.
He connected it to the benzosulfimide he'd just worked with & saccharine was born.
1937:
Young grad student Michael Sveda is working on a synthetic method for an antipyretic drug, and sets his LIT CIGARETTE down on the bench (yeah, I know!).
When he puts it back in his mouth, he discovers the sodium cyclohexylsulfamate has made it taste sweet, and cyclamate sweetener is born.
1965:
Chemist James M. Schlatter is working on a synthetic method for the hormone 'gastrin', and one of the intermediates is a methyl-ester of aspartame.
When he licked his finger to move a piece of paper, he discovered an intense sweetness, and Aspartame (Nutrasweet) was born.
1976:
Young Indian chemist Shashikant Phadnis (right) is given a sample of chlorinated sugar by his boss, Leslie Hough (left) at Queen Elizabeth College, told to "test it", but Shahikant hears "taste it", reports on the sweetness and sucralose (Splenda) is born.
