A device that is used daily by hundreds of millions (if not billions) of people around the world was developed in the last century by Scotsman John Boyd Dunlop.
John was born on February 5, 1846 in Dreghorn, North Ayrshire. After his studies in Edinburgh, he came to Belfast where he set up his veterinarian practice on May Street. John Dunlop was always very kind to animals and people, and it was his kindness, which led him to invent something which is used by almost everyone in the world today.
First of all, he noticed that horses had to pull very heavy loads, straining against solid leather collars. So he attempted to make an air cushion collar to ease their burden. While he was working on this idea, his young son, Johnnie, complained to him about the bumpy cobble stones of the Belfast streets which made it very uncomfortable for him to ride his tricycle. All the tyres on all tricycles and bicycles were made of solid rubber at that time. John Boyd Dunlop decided to do something about it.
He consulted his doctor, Sir John Fagan, who told him how he had been able to make his very sick patients comfortable by having them lie on air cushions in hospital. Dunlop wondered whether his son Johnnie would be more comfortable on his tricycle if he could make air cushion tyres for it instead of the solid ones.

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