Humphry Davy Biography

Humphry Davy biography

Quick Facts

NAME: Humphry Davy
OCCUPATION: Inventor, Chemist
BIRTH DATE: December 17, 1778
DEATH DATE: May 29, 1829
PLACE OF BIRTH: Penzance, Cornwall, England

PLACE OF DEATH: Geneva, Switzerland

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Best Known For

Humphry Davy was a British chemist and inventor best known for discovering alkali and his contributions to the discoveries of chlorine and iodine.

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Sir Humphry Davy

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Synopsis

Humphry Davy was a British chemist and inventor, best known for discovering alkali and his contributions to the discoveries of chlorine and iodine. In 1799, he proposed the anesthetic effect of nitrous oxide for use in human surgery. He became the first to apply chemical principles to farming and his 1815 invention of the Davy lamp allowed miners to work safely in the vicinity of flammable gases.

Profile

(born Dec. 17, 1778, Penzance, Cornwall, Eng.—died May 29, 1829, Geneva, Switz.) English chemist. By his early 20s his work on gases had established his reputation. His discovery of the anesthetic effect of nitrous oxide in 1799 was a major contribution to surgery. He also did early research on voltaic cells and batteries, tanning, electrolysis, and mineral analysis. In Elements of Agricultural Chemistry (1813) he became the first to apply chemical principles systematically to farming. He was the first to isolate potassium, sodium, barium, strontium, magnesium, and calcium; he also discovered boron and studied chlorine and iodine extensively. He analyzed many pigments and proved that diamond is a form of carbon. He was one of the greatest exponents of the scientific method. His research on mine explosions and flame and his invention of the safety lamp brought him great prestige, and in 1820 he was made president of the Royal Society of London.