Discoverers of the elements
102 chemists and physicists share the credit for the elements found since the 1600s. Here is who found what — and when.
Most prolific
11
Albert Ghiorso
- Am
- Cm
- Bk
- Cf
- Es
- Fm
- Md
- Lr
- Rf
- Db
- Sg
6
Glenn T. Seaborg
- Pu
- Am
- Cm
- Bk
- Cf
- Md
6
Peter Armbruster
- Bh
- Hs
- Mt
- Ds
- Rg
- Cn
5
Gottfried Münzenberg
- Bh
- Hs
- Mt
- Ds
- Rg
5
Yuri Oganessian
- Fl
- Mc
- Lv
- Ts
- Og
4
Carl Wilhelm Scheele
- O
- Cl
- Mo
- Ba
4
Humphry Davy
- B
- Na
- K
- Ca
4
Jöns Jacob Berzelius
- Si
- Se
- Ce
- Th
4
William Ramsay
- Ne
- Ar
- Kr
- Xe
3
Carl Auer von Welsbach
- Pr
- Nd
- Lu
3
Carl Gustaf Mosander
- La
- Tb
- Er
3
Georgy Flerov
- No
- Rf
- Db
3
Morris Travers
- Ne
- Kr
- Xe
3
Paul-Émile Lecoq de Boisbaudran
- Ga
- Sm
- Dy
3
Sigurd Hofmann
- Ds
- Rg
- Cn
3
Stanley G. Thompson
- Bk
- Cf
- Md
Everyone, A–Z
A
- Adair CrawfordStrontium (1790)
- Albert GhiorsoAmericium (1944), Curium (1944), Berkelium (1949), Californium (1950), Einsteinium (1952), Fermium (1952), Mendelevium (1955), Lawrencium (1961), Rutherfordium (1964), Dubnium (1968), Seaborgium (1974)
- Albertus MagnusArsenic (c. 1250)
- Almon LarshLawrencium (1961)
- Anders Gustaf EkebergTantalum (1802)
- André-Louis DebierneActinium (1899)
- Andreas Sigismund MarggrafZinc (1746)
- Andrés Manuel del RíoVanadium (1801)
- Antoine-Jérôme BalardBromine (1826)
- Antonio de UlloaPlatinum (1735)
- Arthur WahlPlutonium (1940)
- Axel Fredrik CronstedtNickel (1751)
B
C
- Carl Auer von WelsbachPraseodymium (1885), Neodymium (1885), Lutetium (1907)
- Carl Gustaf MosanderLanthanum (1839), Terbium (1843), Erbium (1843)
- Carl Jacob LöwigBromine (1826)
- Carl Wilhelm ScheeleOxygen (1774), Chlorine (1774), Molybdenum (1778), Barium (1772)
- Carlo PerrierTechnetium (1937)
- Charles D. CoryellPromethium (1945)
- Charles HatchettNiobium (1801)
- Charles JamesLutetium (1907)
- Claude François GeoffroyBismuth (1753)
- Clemens WinklerGermanium (1886)
D
E
F
G
- Georg BrandtCobalt (1735)
- George de HevesyHafnium (1923)
- Georges UrbainLutetium (1907)
- Georgy FlerovNobelium (1966), Rutherfordium (1964), Dubnium (1968)
- Glenn T. SeaborgPlutonium (1940), Americium (1944), Curium (1944), Berkelium (1949), Californium (1950), Mendelevium (1955)
- Gottfried MünzenbergBohrium (1981), Hassium (1984), Meitnerium (1982), Darmstadtium (1994), Roentgenium (1994)
- Gregory R. ChoppinMendelevium (1955)
- Gustav KirchhoffRubidium (1861), Caesium (1860)
H
I
J
- Jacob A. MarinskyPromethium (1945)
- Jacques-Louis SoretHolmium (1878)
- Jean Charles Galissard de MarignacGadolinium (1880), Ytterbium (1878)
- Johan August ArfwedsonLithium (1817)
- Johan GadolinYttrium (1794)
- Johan Gottlieb GahnManganese (1774)
- Jöns Jacob BerzeliusSilicon (1824), Selenium (1817), Cerium (1803), Thorium (1829)
- Joseph BlackMagnesium (1755)
- Joseph Louis Gay-LussacBoron (1808)
- Joseph PriestleyOxygen (1774)
- Joseph W. KennedyPlutonium (1940)
- Juan José ElhuyarTungsten (1783)
K
L
M
N
O
P
- Paul-Émile Lecoq de BoisbaudranGallium (1875), Samarium (1879), Dysprosium (1886)
- Per Teodor CleveHolmium (1878), Thulium (1879)
- Peter ArmbrusterBohrium (1981), Hassium (1984), Meitnerium (1982), Darmstadtium (1994), Roentgenium (1994), Copernicium (1996)
- Philip AbelsonNeptunium (1940)
- Pierre CuriePolonium (1898), Radium (1898)
- Pierre JanssenHelium (1868)
R
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