Louis Nicolas Vauquelin
Vauquelin was born on May 16, 1763, in the Normandy village called St. André d'Hébertot. He made rapid progress in the village school and in his religious studies. At the age of fourteen, Vauquelin became a laboratory assistant and dishwasher in an apothecary shop, but he soon left for Paris. In Paris Vauquelin worked in various apothecary shops and studied Latin and botany. The famous chemist Antoine-François de Fourcroy soon heard of Vauquelin's fondness for chemistry and promptly engaged him as an assistant. Vauquelin was able to continue his study of physics, chemistry and philosophy while assisting Fourcroy in teaching a course at the Athenaeum. Vauquelin was Professor at the École Polytechnique and was Assayer at the Paris Mint. He discovered chromium in 1797 and beryllium in 1798. |
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