June 12 — the U.S. Patent Office issued Lewis Haslett the first patent for a gas-mask device. The invention was called the “Lung Protector” and consisted of a unit with inhalation/exhalation valves and a felt filter connected directly, or via a tube, to this unit. The latter could be attached to the nose or the mouth. Active work on improving means of protecting the human respiratory system began during World War I, when in April 1915 on the German-French front the Germans carried out the first gas attack. The second attack was staged on the Eastern Front against Russian troops. At that time, to protect against gases, soldiers were issued gauze masks soaked in a special solution. However, they proved to be an unreliable means of protection. Then the outstanding Russian chemist Nikolay Zelinsky came up with the idea of using charcoal for protection against gases. Through experimental research, he managed to establish that toxic agents were reliably absorbed by thermally treated birch charcoal.
Based on his conclusions, engineer Kummant created a rubber mask that fit tightly to the face and ensured that the airflow for breathing passed through a filtering element.
Producing such a gas mask took four months.
In 1916, the first batch of gas masks was sent to the active army.
During World War I, about 11 million were produced.