About this episode

This episode explores the life of Dmitri Mendeleev and the creation of the Periodic Table of Elements.

# The Birth of the Periodic Table: May 2nd, 1844 On May 2nd, 1844, one of the most brilliant minds in the history of chemistry was born in the remote Siberian town of Tobolsk, Russia. His name was Dmitri Ivanovich Mendeleev, and he would go on to create one of science's most iconic achievements: the Periodic Table of Elements. Mendeleev's early life reads like an adventure novel. He was the youngest of at least 14 children (sources vary between 14 and 17). His father, a teacher, went blind the year Dmitri was born, plunging the family into poverty. His mother, Maria, was an absolute force of nature. She revived her family's abandoned glass factory and ran it successfully while raising her enormous brood. When the factory burned down in 1848, she refused to give up on her youngest son's education. Despite being a woman in 19th-century Russia with limited resources, she walked Dmitri over 4,000 miles to St. Petersburg to ensure he could attend university. She died shortly after securing his admission, having sacrificed everything for his future. What makes Mendeleev's story particularly delightful is how he created his famous periodic table. In 1869, while writing a chemistry…

Topics covered

• Mendeleev
• Periodic Table
• chemistry
• history of science
• education
• 19th century

Keywords

• Mendeleev
• Periodic Table
• chemistry
• elements
• 19th century
• education
• Russia

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Periodic Table of Elements

Places: Siberia, Tobolsk

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