Anyone who's ever known the agony of lobster-red sunburn knows just how important sunscreen can be. Thanks to a Florida pharmacist named Benjamin Green, who invented the first sunscreen lotion in 1944, tourists and travelers the world over can now enjoy being out in the sun without paying the price for it afterwards.

Green created his sunscreen, a precursor to Coppertone, to protect World War II soldiers fighting in the South Pacific from the sun's harmful effects. Initially called "Red Vet Pet," due to its use of red veterinary petrolatum, it was improved later on with cocoa butter and coconut oil.

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