Dmitri Mendeleev

Dmitri Mendeleev was a Russian chemist who is best known for his organization of the periodic table in 1869.  He organized the elements according to their atomic mass and left spots open for future elements. He did not only predict that there were missing elements but also their properties. His theory of missing elements was not widely accepted until they were discovered and his theory was proven correct. As creator of the modern periodic table, Mendeleev has an element named after him element 101 or Mendelevium. He was born in Tobolsk, Siberia in 1834. His father was a headmaster of the local secondary grammar school and his mother owned a glass making factory. In his teenage years tragedies struck the family, his father became blind then passed away and the family factory burned down. He studied in St. Petersburg at the university where his father had attended.