Berzelius, << buhr ZEE lee uhs, >> Jons Jakob (1779-1848), a noted Swedish chemist, made valuable contributions to chemical analysis and atomic theory. He was one of the discoverers of the element cerium. Berzelius also discovered the elements selenium, silicon, and thorium. He was the first to isolate the elements calcium and tantalum. He developed the system of using letters of the alphabet for chemical symbols and formulas, and he advocated classification of minerals according to chemical composition. Berzelius was born in Gotland, Sweden, on Aug. 20, 1779. He died on Aug. 7, 1848. See also Cerium ; Chemistry (Dalton’s atomic theory) ; Element, Chemical (table) ; Selenium ; Thorium .
