Trimethylpentane, a form of Isooctane, appeared in chemical literature around 1898. It is a type of hydrocarbon found in kerosene that is found in petroleum, which is then used to fuel jets and everyday vehicles. This was found when Francis E Sydney Young treated paraffins with nitric acid that created nitroalkanes at the university of Bristol.
Then in 1926, Dr Graham Edgar mixed isooctane with an antiknock compound at General Motors. This solved the issue of whether a vehicle had an engine knocking problem due to the combustion irregularity.
He solved this problem by developing the octane rating system. He figured out that isooctane would not knock in any engine under any circumstance. Thus creating a major development in vehicles. Isooctane is used in all gasoline.