title: It began with a daydream: the 150th anniversary of the Kekulé benzene structure.
abstract: In January 1865, August Kekulé published his theory of the structure of benzene, which he later reported had come to him in a daydream about a snake biting its tail. Although other theories had been postulated before 1865, Kekulé was the first to identify the correct structure. Kekulé's theory resulted in a clear understanding of aromatic compounds and thus had a major impact on the development of chemical science and industry.
authors.affiliation: Case Western Reserve University, Department of History, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, 44106-7107 (USA). ajr@case.edu.
authors.forename: Alan J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Rocke
keywords: Kekulé, August; benzene; history of science