Known as one of the greatest chemists to ever live, Dmitry Mendeleev made many significant contributions to chemistry during his life (1834-1907) but most importantly, he is the father of the periodic table of elements.

He began college at the University of St.Petersburg but then switched to the University of Heidelberg in 1859. At Heidelberg, Mendeleev met an Italian chemist named Stanislao Cannizzaro. Together they worked and shared ideas and Cannizzaro provided the inspiration about atomic weight that led Mendeleev to his creative ideas. Also influenced by the discoveries of John Dalton and his work with atoms and how they worked, Mendeleev was able to sort together his ideas and think on a higher level.

In 1863, Mendeleev returned to St.Petersburg and became a professor. He went on to become a renowned teacher and highly respected in the field of chemistry. Without a sufficient textbook to guide him...