who discovered rubber

Rubber was originally discovered and used by the ancient Maya people, who tapped the sap from Brazilian rubber trees and created rubber items such as balls and toys. The first European to encounter rubber was Christopher Columbus during his second voyage in 1493. The term "rubber" originated in 1770 when English chemist Joseph Priestley discovered that the material could erase pencil marks. The major breakthrough that made rubber practical for widespread use came in 1839 when American inventor Charles Goodyear accidentally discovered the vulcanization process. This involved heating rubber with sulfur, which made rubber stronger, elastic, and resistant to temperature changes. Goodyear patented this discovery in 1844, which revolutionized rubber's commercial use, although he did not profit much from it during his lifetime.