Marcellin Berthelot

Marcellin Pierre Eugène Berthelot (Known as "Marcellin Berthelot")

Chemist, Statesman, Founder of Modern Chemical Synthesis and Thermochemistry, Panthéon

Born Oct 25, 1827

Paris, France

Passed Away Mar 18, 1907 Paris, France

Lifespan 79 years old

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Notice / Correction

"Chemistry is a creative science: it does not merely discover nature's materials, it creates new worlds that nature never made."

Archival Overview

Giant of nineteenth-century chemistry who shattered vitalism by synthesizing organic compounds directly from inorganic elements (acetylene, benzene, alcohol), founded thermochemistry, and was interred in the Panthéon.

Biographical Record

Appointed to the chair of organic chemistry at the Collège de France created specifically for him in 1865, Berthelot disproved the ancient belief that organic chemical compounds could only be created by a mysterious biological 'vital force'. Between 1855 and 1860, using electric arcs, he synthesized methane, acetylene, ethylene, and formic acid from carbon and hydrogen.

He established thermochemistry, formulating the principle of maximum work and inventing the bomb calorimeter to measure reaction heats. Serving as Minister of Public Instruction and Foreign Affairs, he died of grief minutes after his wife Sophie passed away; the French Republic buried them together in the Panthéon.

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Rest in Peace Forever remembered and cherished Your legacy lives on in all of us With deep gratitude for your life and light

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Final Resting Place

Perpetual Memorial

Panthéon (Tomb with his wife Sophie Berthelot)
Paris, France

                         GPS: 48.8464, 2.3461                    

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