Karl Wilhelm Scheele
Scheele, Karl Wilhelm (1742-1786), a Swedish chemist. He discovered the element oxygen in the early 1770's, independently of and prior to Joseph Priestley. (However, Priestley is often credited with the discovery because his findings were published first.) In 1774 Scheele discovered chlorine, but he thought (incorrectly) that it was an oxgyen-containing compound. He was the first to isolate glycerin, as well as a number of acids, including tartaric acid, lactic acid, uric acid, citric acid, and prussic (hydrocyanic) acid. He contributed to the discovery of the elements manganese, molybdenum, barium, and tungsten. Scheele's green (copper arsenite) and scheelite, a tungsten ore, are named for him.
Scheele was born in western Pomerania (then part of Sweden, now part of Germany). He was apprenticed to a pharmacist who taught him chemistry. Scheele worked as a pharmacist in Malm, Stockholm, Uppsala, and Kping, doing chemical experiments in his spare time.