Historedia
Person

William Hyde Wollaston

Events
2
Episodes
6
Years
1802–1805

Every event in Historedia whose sources name William Hyde Wollaston, with the role they cite and all of that event’s episodes. This is not a biography, and mentions are grouped by name, so two people with the same name can share this page.

Events and episodes

  1. Wollaston, Tennant and Berzelius identify new elements

    1802–1804

    Role: English chemist who discovered palladium and rhodium

    1. July 1802 to April 1803 · Soho shopPalladium Discovery

      Wollaston noted palladium in July 1802, named it in August, and offered it in Soho in April 1803.

    2. 1803 to 1804 · LondonRhodium Discovery

      Wollaston discovered rhodium in 1803, naming it for the rose color of its chlorine compounds.

    3. 1803 to June 21, 1804 · LondonIridium and Osmium Residues

      Tennant analyzed platinum ore residues in 1803, identifying iridium and osmium, documented in 1804.

    4. 1803 · Bastnäs, SwedenCerium Discovery

      Berzelius and Hisinger discovered cerium in Bastnäs, Sweden, in 1803, independently confirmed by Klaproth in Germany.

  2. Tennant announces iridium and osmium; Wollaston reveals palladium (June 1804)

    1804–1805

    Role: Chemist who discovered palladium

    1. June 21, 1804 · Royal SocietyTennant Announces Iridium and Osmium

      Smithson Tennant documented the discovery of iridium and osmium in a letter to the Royal Society on June 21, 1804.

    2. 1805 · Publication venueWollaston Discloses Palladium Authorship

      William Hyde Wollaston disclosed his authorship of palladium in a publication in 1805, following earlier anonymous offers.

Sources

  1. William Hyde Wollaston Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-29
  2. Palladium Wikipedia, revision of 2026-10-02
  3. Rhodium Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-11