Timeline of chemical element discovery
- 1737 - George Brandt, discovered Cobalt. From the German word kobalt or kobold (evil spirit).
- 1766 - Henry Cavendish discovered Hydrogen. From the Greek words hudōr (water) and gennan (generate).
- 1774 - John Priestly discovered Oxygen. From the Greek words oxus (acid) and gennan (generate).
- 1774 - Carl Wilhelm Scheele discovered chlorine.
- 1782 - Franz Joseph Müller Freiherr von Reichenstein, discovered Tellurium. From Latin word Tellus (earth).
- 1789
- 1794 - Johann Gadolin discovered Yttrium. After Ytterby (a town in Sweden).
- 1803 - Smithson Tenant discovered Osmium. From the Greek word osmė (odor).
- 1807
- Humphrey Davy discovered Potassium. From the Latin word kalium.
- Humphrey Davy discovered Sodium. From the Latin word natrium (sodium).
- 1808
- Humphrey Davy discovered Calcium. From the Latin word calcis (lime).
- Humphrey Davy discovered Barium. From the Greek word barys (heavy).
- 1817 - Johann Arfvedson discovered Lithium. From the Greek word lithos (stone).
- 1878 - Jena de Marignac discovered Ytterbium. After Ytterby (a town in Sweden).
- 1886
- Joseph Henri Moissan discovered Fluorine. From the Latin word fluo (flow).
- Paul Emile Lecoq de Boisbaudran discovered Dysprosium. From the Greek word dysprositos (hard to get at).
- 1894 - William Ramsey discovered Argon. From the Greek word argon (inactive).
- 1895 - William Ramsey discovered Helium. From the Greek word hźlios (sun).
- 1898
- William Ramsey discovered Neon. From the Greek word neos (new).
- William Ramsey discovered Krypton. From the Greek word kryptos (hidden).
- William Ramsey discovered Xenon. From the Greek word xenon (stranger).
- Friedrich Ernst Dorn discovered Radon. From Radium.
- Pierre and Marie Curie discovered Polonium. From Poland.
- 1907 - Georges Urbain discovered Lutetium. From Lutetia (ancient name of Paris).
- 1957 - Nobel Institute for Physics discovered Nobelium. After Alfred Nobel.
- 1961 - Albert Ghiorso discovered Lawrencium. After Ernest Lawrence.
- 1970 - Albert Ghiorso discovered Dubnium. After Dubna, Russia.