On the International Year of the Periodic Table

"The periodic table stares down from the walls of just about every chemistry lab. The credit for its creation generally goes to Dimitri Mendeleev, a Russian chemist who in 1869 wrote out the known elements (of which there were 63 at the time) on cards and then arranged them in columns and rows according to their chemical and physical properties. To celebrate the 150th anniversary of this pivotal moment in science, the UN has proclaimed 2019 to be the International year of the Periodic Table.

"But the periodic table didn’t actually start with Mendeleev. Many had tinkered with arranging the elements. . . .

"Mendeleev's genius was in what he left out of his table. He recognised that certain elements were missing, yet to be discovered. So where [other scientists] had laid out what was known, Mendeleev left space for the unknown. Even more amazingly, he accurately predicted the properties of the missing elements."

In a recent commentary, Dr. Mark Lorch, Professor of Science Communication and Chemistry, University of Hull, reflected on the development of the periodic table.

To access Dr. Lorch's complete post, please visit:

The Conversation: The periodic table is 150 - but it could have looked very different (2 JAN 19)

Related document:

International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry: The United Nations Proclaims the International Year of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements

Background information:

Wikipedia: Periodic table

Los Alamos National Laboratory: Periodic Table of Elements

The periodic table of the elements by WebElements