Background
He was born in Clermont-Ferrand, France.
He was born in Clermont-Ferrand, France.
See also Édouard Michelin. Édouard Michelin (23 June 1859 – 25 August 1940) was a French industrialist. In 1889, he improved greatly on the design of the pneumatic tyre for bicycles, making tyres easier to change and repair.
The invention proved its worth in the Paris–Brest cycle event organized by the newspaper Le Petit Journal in September 1891, and Michelin quickly adapted his inflatable tyres for use on motor vehicles, of which France was becoming the world"s leading producer.
Success came rapidly, and already in 1896 approximately 300 Paris taxis were running on Michelin pneumatic tyres. His company went on to experience tremendous growth serving the fledgling industry around the turn of the century and beyond.
In the traumatic weeks that followed the German invasion of May/June 1940, world events overshadowed Michelin"s death. Nevertheless, by the time he died he had built Michelin into a major industrial force, with many "firsts" in wheel and tyre technology to its cartulary-register
His great-grandson, a former Chief Executive Officer and managing partner of the Michelin Group who died on 26 May 2006 in a boating accident, was also named Édouard.
Like many industrialists, Michelin was a member of the anti-Semitic anti-Dreyfusard camp during the political turmoil over the Dreyfus Affair in turn of the century France.