History of Indigo in Timeline

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Indigo

Indigo refers to a range of blue hues, originating from the ancient dye of the same name. The term encompasses the color of the dye itself, fabrics dyed with it, a spectral color (one of Newton's rainbow colors), and a region on the color wheel, including shades of blue, ultramarine, and green-blue. More recently, "indigo" has been used to describe purple and violet hues, particularly in the context of HTML web page specifications.

1914: Indigo Dominance in French Military Coats

In 1914, indigo remained the dominant color of French military coats, concluding a period that began with the French Revolution. Indigo was initially adopted to replace white uniforms but was briefly replaced by white coats in 1806 due to indigo dye shortages.

1980: Color Spectrum Division

In 1980, J.W.G Hunt published work dividing the color spectrum between violet and blue at approximately 450 nm, without naming a specific hue as indigo.

1992: Publication of 'Indigo' Novel

In 1992, Marina Warner's novel 'Indigo', a retelling of Shakespeare's 'The Tempest', was published, featuring the production of indigo dye by the character Sycorax.

1999: Crayola Indigo Crayon Release

In 1999, Crayola released an indigo crayon, using the hex code #4F49C6 to approximate the crayon color on their website.

2001: Crayola Iron Indigo Crayon

In 2001, Crayola portrayed their iron indigo crayon using the hex code #184FA1.

2004: Crayola Indigo Crayon Color Update

In 2004, the Crayola indigo crayon color was updated and depicted by the hex code #5D76CB.

2005: 'Tropical Indigo' in Color Guide

In 2005, the color 'Tropical Indigo', known as añil, was included in the 'Guía de coloraciones' (Guide to colorations) by Rosa Gallego and Juan Carlos Sanz, a widely popular color dictionary in the Hispanophone realm.

2006: Color Spectrum Division

In 2006, Bohren and Clothiaux published work dividing the color spectrum between violet and blue at approximately 450 nm, without naming a specific hue as indigo.

2019: Crayola Iridescent Indigo Crayon

In 2019, Crayola portrayed their iridescent indigo crayon by the hex code #3C32CD.