Dmitri Ivanovich Mendeleev (February 8, 1834 – February 2, 1907) was a great Russian scientist and encyclopedist who made enormous contributions to chemistry, physics, metrology, economics, and other sciences.
He was the 17th and last child in the family of the director of the gymnasium in Tobolsk. Graduated from the Main Pedagogical Institute in St. Petersburg in 1855.
He discovered one of the basic laws of nature and created the periodic table of chemical elements, leaving empty cells in it for elements yet to be discovered.
He wrote the classic work "Fundamentals of Chemistry", studied oil refining, proposed the idea of pipes and developed the composition of smokeless gunpowder.
Since 1893, he headed the Main Bureau of Weights and Measures, essentially creating a modern system of standards and measurements in Russia.
He made a solo balloon flight to view a solar eclipse (1887), and worked on issues of economics, agriculture, and public education.