1745-1818

Swedish chemist and mineralogist who first isolated the pure metal manganese (1774). Gahn interacted closely with Karl Scheele, and conversations they had regarding Scheele's research led to Gahn's demonstration that bones contain phosphorus (1770). He also interacted with Torbern Bergman and contributed to Jönas Berzelius's discovery of selenium (1818). Gahn improved copper smelting methods and solved various other technical mining problems for which the Swedish College of Mining awarded him its gold medal (1780).