Includes index.

Introduction -- Antiquity to alchemy: prehistory to 1700 -- Scientific revolution: 1700-1799 -- Industrial revolution: 1800-1859 -- Classifying elements: 1860-1899 -- The table takes shape: 1900-1944 -- Artificial elements: 1944 onwards

Everything that has ever existed in the Universe is made of just 118 types of atoms. Some of the chemical elements built from these atoms have been known since prehistory. Others are more elusive and have only recently been obtained in pure form or can only be found flickering in and out of existence in laboratories. This book tells the story of how they were all discovered and reveals how they are all different, where we find them, and how we use them. If you want to unlock the secrets of matter itself, open the Periodic Table.