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, and one of Newton's seven rainbow colors. It can also denote a region on the color wheel, including various blues, ultramarine, and green-blue shades. More recently, the term has been applied to certain purple and violet hues online, stemming from its use in HTML web page specifications.

1914: Indigo becomes dominant in French Military coats

By 1914, indigo remained the dominant color of French military coats.

1980: Color spectrum division

In 1980, color scientist J.W.G. Hunt divided the color spectrum between violet and blue at approximately 450 nm, without specifically naming any hue as indigo.

1992: Publication of Indigo novel

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

1999: Crayola releases indigo crayon

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

2001: Crayola's iron indigo crayon

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

2004: Crayola's indigo crayon color

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

2005: 'Tropical Indigo' defined in color guide

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

2006: Color spectrum division

In 2006, color scientists Bohren and Clothiaux divided the color spectrum between violet and blue at approximately 450 nm, without specifically naming any hue as indigo.

2019: Crayola's iridescent indigo

In 2019, Crayola's iridescent indigo was portrayed by the hex code #3C32CD.