Thomas Midgley Jr. was found dead in his home in Worthington, Ohio. He was killed by a device he had invented to help him get out of bed unassisted after contracting polio. The death was ruled a suicide by the coroner.

Thomas Midgley Jr. participated in a press conference to demonstrate the apparent safety of tetraethyl lead (TEL). During the demonstration, he poured TEL over his hands and inhaled its vapor for sixty seconds, claiming he could do this every day without problems. This event, while intended to reassure the public, highlighted the known dangers of lead exposure and later became a symbol of the underestimation of the long-term health risks associated with leaded gasoline.