Chemist · 1834 – 1907
Dmitri Mendeleev
Little-Known Facts
- Mendeleev was the youngest of a very large family and was educated through the determined efforts of his widowed mother.
- He took a serious interest in many practical matters, from the Russian oil industry to a high-altitude balloon ascent to observe a solar eclipse.
Myths & Misconceptions
Did Mendeleev dream the periodic table?
He claimed the arrangement came to him in a dream, but this followed years of intense, systematic study of the elements; the story is likely embellished.