Andrés Manuel del Río
Andrés Manuel del Río y Fernández (10 November 1764 – 23 March 1849) was a Spanish scientist, naturalist and engineer who discovered compounds of vanadium in 1801.[1] Del Río continued his studies at the Mining Academy in Freiberg, Germany, under the direction of Abraham Gottlob Werner in 1789.Del Río went on to study at the Austrian Imperial-Royal Mining Academy at Schemnitz, Hungary, with Anton von Rupprecht, as well as in England.[6] Del Río arrived at the port of Veracruz on 20 October 1794, on the ship San Francisco de Alcántara out of Cádiz.[6][7] German naturalist, Alexander von Humboldt, making a survey of resources in Spanish-held colonies for Spain, reported favorably that it was in Mexico where the best work of mineralogy in Spanish had been published, the Elementos de Orictognosia of Señor Del Rio.He organized excursions to Chapultepec, to the basaltic zone of Pedregal de San Ángel, the lava fields of the Xitle volcano, and to the hot springs of Peñón de los Baños, a rocky outcrop close to the modern Mexico City International Airport, accumulating data and samples of minerals and rocks that were then submitted to chemical tests for identification.[6] "Although it is true that he was born Spanish, given the quality of his character, his sympathies, the services rendered to Mexico, and his outstanding intelligence, he was, is, and always will be Mexican.[14] The following year he gave samples containing the new element to Alexander von Humboldt, who sent them on to Hippolyte Victor Collet-Descotils in París for his analysis.[6][2][1][15] In 1830, 27 years after its initial discovery, Professor Nils Gabriel Sefström of Sweden rediscovered the element in a sample of iron of Taberg.[6] He was the founding professor of mineralogy at the College of Mines, which laid the base for the current Institute of Geology of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).[23][24][25] Andrés Manuel Del Río, Luis E. Miramontes, inventor of the first oral contraceptive, and Mario J. Molina, winner of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1995, are the three Mexican chemists of outstanding world significance.
Spanish namesurnameMadridMexico CityMexicoUniversity of Alcalá de Henaresvanadiumnatural historychemistryscientistnaturalistengineeranalytical chemistrymetallurgyAlmadénJean DarcetCollège de FranceMining AcademyFreibergAbraham Gottlob WernerAlexander von HumboldtSchemnitzHungaryAntoine LavoisierRené Just HaüyFrench RevolutionguillotineEnglandNew SpainCharles III of SpainFausto ElhúyartungstenVeracruzCádizChapultepecPedregal de San ÁngelMexico City International AirportSpanish CortesSpanish attempts to reconquer MexicoPhiladelphiaAmerican Philosophical SocietyvanadiniteZimapánState of HidalgoHippolyte Victor Collet-DescotilschromiumNils Gabriel SefströmVanadisFriedrich WöhlerGeorge William FeatherstonhaughJ. J. BerzeliusHenry Enfield RoscoeCoalcománMexican War of IndependenceBiscayMichel ChevalierNational Autonomous University of MexicoSpanish Royal Academy of SciencesWernerian Natural History SocietyRoyal Academy of SciencesRoyal Academy of SaxonyPhilosophical SocietyLyceum of Natural HistoryChihuahuaChemical Society of MexicoLuis E. MiramontesMario J. MolinaNobel Prize in ChemistryBibcodeAnnalen der Physik und ChemieProceedings of the Royal Society of LondonWayback Machine