Timeline of chemical element discoveries

Historical eventFebruary 141961

Timeline of chemical element discoveries

Discovery of the chemical elements: Element 103, Lawrencium, is first synthesized at the University of California.

Everything on February 14Original source

In context

When
Tuesday, February 14 196165 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
20th century · 1960s
Recorded from
Wikipedia “On this day” feed

At a glance

Dates: From 1961.

What happened

Discovery of the chemical elements: Element 103, Lawrencium, is first synthesized at the University of California.

February 14 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 1961Timeline of chemical element discoveries
  2. 2005Beirut
  3. 2005YouTube
  4. 20072007 Zahedan bombings
  5. 20082008 Northern Illinois University shooting
  6. 2011Arab Spring
  7. 2018Parkland high school shooting
  8. 2018Nikolas Cruz
  9. 2018Jacob Zuma
  10. 20192019 Pulwama attack
  11. 2020Ngarbuh massacre

Also in 1961

  • March 14United States Air ForceA USAF B-52 bomber carrying nuclear weapons crashes near Yuba City, California.
  • September 16National Hurricane Research ProjectThe U.S. National Hurricane Research Project sought to weaken Hurricane Esther by seeding it with silver iodide, leading to the establish…
  • September 16Typhoon Nancy (1961)Typhoon Nancy (pictured), which possibly had the strongest winds ever measured in a tropical cyclone, made landfall in Muroto, Japan.
  • September 17Civic Arena (Pittsburgh)The world's first retractable roof stadium, the Civic Arena, opens in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
  • September 181961 Ndola Transair Sweden Douglas DC-6 crashAn aircraft crashed near Ndola in Northern Rhodesia, resulting in the deaths of 16 people, including United Nations secretary-general Dag…
  • October 20Soviet NavyThe Soviet Navy performs the first armed test of a submarine-launched ballistic missile, launching an R-13 from a Golf-class submarine.
  • May 25Joint session of the United States CongressIn an address to Congress, U.S. president John F. Kennedy announced his support for the Apollo program, with "the goal, before this decad…
  • May 25Bukit Ho Swee fireA fire broke out at a squatter settlement in Bukit Ho Swee, Singapore, rendering approximately 16,000 people homeless.

Everything we record for 1961 →

Sources

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“Timeline of chemical element discoveries”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/timeline-of-chemical-element-discoveries-1961-february-14, accessed October 28, 2026.

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Questions about this entry

When did Timeline of chemical element discoveries happen?

February 14 1961 — 65 years ago, on a Tuesday.

Where does this text come from?

Wikipedia “On this day” feed. Summaries are short adaptations that link back to the source, not reprints.

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Use the ready-made citation near the sources at the bottom of the page, and follow the source link to cite the underlying record as well.

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