| Background color shows age of discovery: | ||||||
| Antiquity to 1600 | 1600–1799 | 1800–1849 | 1850–1899 | 1900–1949 | 1950–1999 | Since 2000 |
| (14 elements) Antiquity to 1600: ancient to early modern discoveries |
(27 elements) Discoveries during the Scientific Revolution and the age of enlightenment, part of the gradual rejection of the Aristotelian theory of matter, and Lavoisier's definition of a chemical element |
(19 elements) The chemical and industrial revolutions lead to the standardization of chemical techniques and the development of atomic theory for chemistry |
(23 elements) The age of classifying elements and Mendeleev's periodic table; application of spectrum analysis techniques: Boisbaudran, Bunsen, Crookes, Kirchhoff, and others "hunting emission line signatures" |
(14 elements) Developments in X-ray spectroscopy and radiochemistry allows for many radioactive elements and the final stable elements to be discovered; recognition of the atomic number as defining an element |
(16 elements) Post Manhattan project; synthesis of atomic numbers 98 and above (colliders, bombardment techniques, nuclear reactors) |
(5 elements) Recent synthesis |
