Antoine Lavoisier was born in Paris to an aristocratic family on this day in 1743. He became a respected scientist early in his career and was elected to France’s Academy of Sciences in his mid-20s. He would go on to revolutionize chemistry through various discoveries before meeting an untimely end due to political ructions out of his control.
Throughout his career, Lavoisier discovered the law of conservation of mass, that a mysterious substance he called “oxygen” caused combustion and allowed for respiration, and that water was composed of oxygen and hydrogen, among many other novel findings. Pretty smart dude.
Lavoisier also had a talent for business. Though he’d been born into a rich family, he grew that wealth by managing a royal tax collection firm. At the same time, he was in favor of democratic reforms and supported the initial stages of the French Revolution, which began in 1789. But by 1793, people were getting guillotined left and right for supporting the old monarchy (including the king!). Because of his background as a tax collector, Lavoisier himself was put to death in 1794.
You can read more about Lavoisier at the Science History Institute.
