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Oxygen
Discovered by Joseph Priestly in 1774; however, Priestly is also known for inventing carbonated water and the rubber eraser. He discovered that air was not one singular thing, but a mixture of small molecules. In the air, he discovered oxygen. French chemist Antoine Lavoisier would later give these particles the name ‘Oxygen’. -
Period: to
Big Discoveries in Chemistry
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Small Pox Vaccine is Discovered
Edward Jenner discovered smallpox vaccine.
Jenner was an English country doctor.
Smallpox was a major cause of death in the 18th century.
The international epidemic can be traced back to the growth and spread of civilization and the development of trade routes.
He discovered the vaccine by observing that milkmaids who had contracted cowpox did not contract smallpox, which showed that one disease protected a person from another. -
Periodic Table
The periodic table was created in 1869 by chemist Demitri Mendeleev. He arranged the elements by atomic mass. He anticipated the discovery of new elements, and left spaces open on the periodic table for them. -
Radioactivity
Radioactivity was discovered by Henri Becquerel.
Becquerel was using fluorescent minerals to study the properties of x-rays, which had just been discovered in 1895. -
LSD
Discovered by Albert Hofmann in 1938. No one knew of its ability to produce hallucinations until Hofmann accidentally consumed an amount in 1943. He discovered it while looking for a blood stimulant. LSD was then used throughout the 40s-60s by psychiatrists.