George B. Kauffman California State University Fresno. 93740
Selected Dates in American January
The year 1976 marks not only the bicentennial of the United States of America hut also the hundredth anniversary of the American Chemical Society, founded in New York City on April 6,1876. This year thus seems a particularly appropriate time to glance backward in time by presenting a monthly listing of events in American chemistry. The items given below are excerpted from the January listing of "A Calendar of Science and Technology" by this author. The idea of such a calendar is not new. For example, Ernest H. Huntress compiled a calendar listing birth and death dates of chemists ["Daily Chemical Anniversaries as a Teachine Tool." J. Chem. Educ... 14.. 328-44 (1937)l. In German, several comprehensive compilations of significant discoveries are available [von Lippmann, E. O., "Zeittafeln zur Geschichte der organischen Chemie," Sorineer. . - . Berlin. 1921: Valentin. H.. "Geschichte der Pharmacie und ~ h e m i ein Form 'von Zeittafeln," 3rd ed., Wissenschaftliche Verlagsgesellschaft, Stuttgart, 1950; Walden, P., "Chronologische Uhersichtstabellen zur Geschichte der Chemie von den altesten Zeiten his zur Gegenwart," Springer, Berlin, 19521, but these include listings by years only. The calendar compiled by this author differs from the Huntress calendar in that i t consists of scientific events
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rather than birth and death dates, and it differs from the German compendiums in that it gives exact dates (months, days, and years) rather than only years. It ranges in time from September 1,5509 B.C., the date of the first and most complex of chemical reactions-the creation of the world according to Eastern Orthodox Christian tradition-to dates of events scheduled or predicted for the future. The calendar includes not only events from science and technology, with emphasis on chemistry, hut also events involving political and cultural implications of such events. Although many of the listings are discoveries or inventions of the first magnitude, many are marginal items of much lesser significance but provocative for further investigations. In short, the calendar is heuristic and openended. For each day of the year, one may choose from as many as ten items for discussion, investigation, or research. The idea for the calendar came to me more than a decade ago while reading "365 Excuses for a Party" in "The Art of Mixing Drinks" (Bantam Books, New York, 1957). Since that time I have collected disparate items from books, journals, newspapers, and documents. I wish to acknowledge the assistance of Christine Forchtner (nBe Miller) in the early stages of the compilation.
JANUARY
January 1,1947
January 4,1775
January 7,1946 January 8,1856 January 11,1930
The U.S. Atomic Energy Commission takes over control and development of the atomic energy program from the U S . Army's Manhattan Engineer District. Benjamin Rush, Professor of Chemistry a t the College of Philadelphia, begins a series of lectures on chemistry for the people of Philadelphia-"one of the e a r l i e s t i f not the earliestattempts made in the colonies to provide an opportunity for private citizens to obtain a knowledge of chemistry." The U.S. Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) is established. Borax is discovered in mineral water a t Tuscan Springs, California by John A. Veatch. F. Allison and E. J. Murphy of Alabama Polytechnic Institute announce the discovery of "alabamine" (element 85)-a discovery that has not been confirmed.
January 12,1896 January 16,1919
Henry L. Smith of Davidson College, Davidson, N.C., takes the first X-ray photograph. The Eighteenth (Prohibition) Amendment becomes law, to become effective ereat chemical on Jan. 16. 1920-a " tragedy! First chemical identification of fermium (element 100) a t the University of California, Berkeley. At Freeport, Texas the Dow Chemical Company produces an ingot of magnesium, which is the first commercial ingot of any metal ever to be taken from sea water. Gold is discovered a t Sutter's Mill in northern California setting off the '49er Gold Rush. At the Fifth Washington Conference on Theoretical Physics, Niels Bohr describes Otto Hahn and Fritz Strassmann's discovery of nuclear fission. The Chemical Society of Washington is organized. ~
January 16,1953 January 21,1941
January 24,1848 January 26,1939
January 31,1884
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Volume 53.Number 1. January 1976 1 7
