The element phosphorus was discovered by the German alchemist Hennig Brand in Hamburg around 1669.

Quick Scoop

  • Hennig Brand was searching for the legendary “philosopher’s stone” when he accidentally isolated phosphorus from boiled and processed urine.
  • He noticed a strange white, waxy substance that glowed in the dark and burned brilliantly, which he named phosphorus, meaning “light bearer.”
  • Brand kept his method secret, but the element was later independently prepared by the English chemist Robert Boyle around 1680, helping spread knowledge of phosphorus across Europe.

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