January 16, 1853: André Michelin, founder of Michelin Tire Company, is born in Paris. Michelin took over his family’s failing farm equipment company, which manufactured rubber parts such as belts and valves, in 1886. A few years later, he was approached by a cyclist who was having trouble with his tires. At that time, bicycle tires were hard and glued to the wheel. André Michelin and his brother Edouard discovered an opportunity to create something new, and incorporated the Michelin Tire Company on May 28, 1889. They took out a patent on the removable pneumatic tire in 1891 and have been a leading force in the space since.
Sources: The History Place & Wikipedia
Read more from the Goizueta Business Library collection:
Marketing Michelin: Advertising & Cultural Identity in Twentieth-Century France