CHEMISTS from Spain

Top 5

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary Spanish Chemists of all time. This list of famous Spanish Chemists is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity.

1. Alexandre-Émile Béguyer de Chancourtois (1820 - 1886)

With an HPI of 54.85, Alexandre-Émile Béguyer de Chancourtois is the most famous Spanish Chemist.  His biography has been translated into 17 different languages on wikipedia.

Alexandre-Émile Béguyer de Chancourtois (20 January 1820 – 14 November 1886) was a French geologist and mineralogist who was the first to arrange the chemical elements in order of atomic weights, doing so in 1862. De Chancourtois only published his paper, but did not publish his actual graph with the irregular arrangement. Although his publication was significant, it was ignored by chemists as it was written in terms of geology. It was Dmitri Mendeleev's table published in 1869 that became most recognized. De Chancourtois was also a professor of mine surveying, and later geology at the École Nationale Supérieure des Mines de Paris. He also was the Inspector of Mines in Paris, and was widely responsible for implementing many mine safety regulations and laws during the time.

2. Mathieu Orfila (1787 - 1853)

With an HPI of 53.24, Mathieu Orfila is the 2nd most famous Spanish Chemist.  His biography has been translated into 20 different languages.

Mathieu Joseph Bonaventure Orfila (Catalan: Mateu Josep Bonaventura Orfila i Rotger) (24 April 1787 – 12 March 1853) was a Spanish toxicologist and chemist, the founder of the science of toxicology.

3. Fausto Elhuyar (1755 - 1833)

With an HPI of 52.57, Fausto Elhuyar is the 3rd most famous Spanish Chemist.  His biography has been translated into 20 different languages.

Fausto de Elhuyar (11 October 1755 – 6 February 1833) was a Spanish chemist, and the first to isolate tungsten with his brother Juan José Elhuyar in 1783. He was in charge, under a King of Spain commission, of organizing the School of Mines in México City and so was responsible for building the Palacio de Minería, a structure that would house the school. Elhuyar left Mexico after the Mexican War of Independence, when most of the Spanish residents in Mexico were expelled.

4. Andrés Manuel del Río (1764 - 1849)

With an HPI of 51.84, Andrés Manuel del Río is the 4th most famous Spanish Chemist.  Her biography has been translated into 22 different languages.

Andrés Manuel del Río y Fernández (10 November 1764 – 23 March 1849) was a Spanish scientist, naturalist and engineer who discovered compounds of vanadium in 1801. He proposed that the element be given the name panchromium, or later, erythronium, but his discovery was not credited at the time, and his names were not used.

5. Juan José Elhuyar (1754 - 1796)

With an HPI of 50.79, Juan José Elhuyar is the 5th most famous Spanish Chemist.  His biography has been translated into 18 different languages.

Juan José Elhuyar Lubize (15 June 1754 – 20 September 1796) was a Spanish chemist and mineralogist, who was best known for being first to isolate tungsten with his brother Fausto Elhuyar in 1783. He was born in Logroño, in northern Spain and died in Santafé de Bogotá, New Granada (present-day Colombia) at 42.