Early Life
Born in 1733 in Birstall, Yorkshire, Priestley was the eldest son of a cloth dresser and was raised largely by an aunt after his mother's death. A gifted linguist, he learned Latin, Greek, Hebrew and several modern languages. Because he was a Dissenter, he could not attend Oxford or Cambridge, so he studied at Daventry Academy. He became a minister and teacher, and a meeting with Benjamin Franklin in London sparked his scientific work on electricity.
Major Discoveries
- 01Discovered oxygen ('dephlogisticated air') in 1774
- 02Invented carbonated water (1767)
- 03Isolated ammonia, nitrous oxide, hydrogen chloride and sulfur dioxide
- 04Showed plants restore air that has been 'injured' by burning or breathing
- 05Named rubber after noticing it rubbed out pencil marks
- 06Developed a pneumatic trough using mercury to collect soluble gases
Famous Experiments
- 01Focused sunlight with a lens onto mercury oxide to release oxygen
- 02Placed a mouse and a mint sprig in a sealed jar, showing plants revive the air
- 03Suspended water above beer vats at a brewery to absorb 'fixed air' (CO₂)
Awards & Honors
- 01Copley Medal of the Royal Society (1772)
- 02Fellow of the Royal Society (1766)
- 03Foreign member of the French Academy of Sciences
Legacy
Priestley's gas experiments were central to the chemical revolution, even though he never abandoned phlogiston. He was also a major political and religious thinker, a founder of Unitarianism. The American Chemical Society's highest honour is the Priestley Medal.
Fun Facts
- 01A mob burned down his house and lab in 1791 over his support for the French Revolution
- 02He emigrated to Pennsylvania in 1794 and his house there is now a museum
- 03He wrote about 150 books on science, religion, politics and grammar
- 04He was friends with Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson