William Henry Perkin accidentally discovered mauveine, the first synthetic dye, in 1856 while trying to synthesize quinine. This purple dye (mauve) was the first mass-produced synthetic color, launching the synthetic dye industry. Perkin's discovery revolutionized textile manufacturing and color chemistry. Before mauveine, all dyes came from natural sources like plants, insects, and minerals. His work established synthetic organic chemistry as an industrial field.