Joseph Priestley, 1733-1804

[boyntonstu]

Until a few weeks ago, the only thing I knew about Joseph Priestly was a brief mention in school: Joseph Priestly discovered Oxygen.

I just read: "OXYGEN" and WOW!

What a story, what a life, what a scientist, and what a religious thinker.

I will begin with a few facts and I earnestly suggest that you do some research about this role model person.

Joseph Priestly discovered carbonated water.

Joseph Priestly was a Unitarian minister in England. and his criticism of Christianity got his house and church burned down by the mobs.

(Much like the supposed burning of the Koran)

"An History of the Corruptions of Christianity, published by Joseph Johnson in 1782, was the fourth part of 18th-century Dissenting minister Joseph Priestley"

Joseph Priestly became proficient in physics, philosophy, algebra, mathematics and a variety of ancient Near Eastern and modern languages.

Priestly was the first to discover that graphite is a good electrical conductor.

When he first saw the gummy tree sap from the Americas, he realized it would remove pencil marks from paper, and so, thanks to old Joe, we have the eraser!

Joseph Priestly was a good friend and a great influence on Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin thinking.

There is so much more to this historical giant.

Please post something that you discovered.

[hgc]

When he first saw the gummy tree sap from the Americas, he realized it would remove pencil marks from paper, and so, thanks to old Joe, we have the eraser!


And he also gave us the word rubber, which is what he called his eraser, since it rubbed out marks.

[TragicMonkey]

I didn't care for his work on 90210, but he was in a couple of pretty good movies afterward.

[Madalch]

And yet, Scheele discovered oxygen first...

[TragicMonkey]

And yet, Scheele discovered oxygen first...

I don't know, the history's a bit muddled, but I'm inclined to give credit for the discovery of oxygen to Prof. Stephen Oxygen. He was a breath of fresh air in a stale profession.