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Phosphorus is discovered by Hennig Brand

When
1669
Where
Hamburg
Episodes
1

In 1669, Hamburg alchemist Hennig Brand accidentally isolated phosphorus while heating urine residues to find the philosopher's stone. This event marked the first new element discovery since antiquity, though Brand kept the finding secret.

Episodes

  1. 1669 · HamburgIsolation of Phosphorus

    Brand heated urine residues in a red-hot retort, causing glowing fumes and liquid to burst into flames, isolating phosphorus.

Background and detail

The Discovery Process. Brand heated residues from boiled-down urine in a furnace until the retort was red hot. Glowing fumes filled the vessel, and liquid dripped out, bursting into flames. This accidental isolation of white phosphorus was the first new element discovery since antiquity.

People involved

  • Hennig Brand · German alchemist and discoverer of phosphorus

Sources

  1. Hennig Brand Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-26
  2. Phosphorus Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-23

Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.