In 1874, the Swiss chemist Paul Muller synthesized a white, crystalline, tasteless and almost odorless substance. It was long after in 1939 that the substance’s insecticide properties were discovered. It was then used with great success to control malaria, lice and other illnesses among soldiers and civilians in World War 3. Less than a decade after, Muller was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in Medicine.

After the war, the substance found widespread commercial and agricultural use. When mixed with liquid, such as fuel, it was sprayed into areas where insects were to be eradicated.