Dmitri Mendeleev
His widowed mother rode 2,000 km across Russia to enroll him; he repaid it with the periodic table.
Dmitri Mendeleev was born in 1834 in Tobolsk, Siberia, Russia. Dmitri Mendeleev's background is described as Russian, from Siberia. Growing up, the family was working class — the youngest of more than a dozen children; his teacher father went blind the year he was born, and his mother restarted a glass factory to feed the family. His widowed mother rode 2,000 km across Russia to enroll him; he repaid it with the periodic table.
- Born
- 1834 · Tobolsk, Siberia, Russia
- Roots
- Russian, from Siberia
- Family
- Working class
- The youngest of more than a dozen children; his teacher father went blind the year he was born, and his mother restarted a glass factory to feed the family.
- Education
- Main Pedagogical Institute, St. Petersburg
- Started with
- A mother's journey
- After the glassworks burned down, his mother rode with him some 2,000 km to St. Petersburg to enroll him; she died months later.
- Affiliations & societies
- None documented.
- Information only — claims like these are often unverifiable and may be wrong.
The pathway
- 1849 · age 15The journey west
Moscow University rejects the Siberian applicant; St. Petersburg takes him.
- 1855 · age 20Graduates first in his class
Despite a tuberculosis scare that sent him south for treatment.
- 1869 · age 34The periodic law
Arranging element cards like solitaire, he leaves gaps and predicts the properties of undiscovered elements.
- 1875 · age 40Vindication
Gallium is discovered matching his predicted 'eka-aluminium'; scandium and germanium follow.
- 1906 · age 72Nobel snub
Loses the chemistry prize by one vote amid committee politics; dies the next year.
- 1955Mendelevium
Element 101 is named for him.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Dmitri Mendeleev from?
Dmitri Mendeleev was born in 1834 in Tobolsk, Siberia, Russia. Their background is described as Russian, from Siberia.
When was Dmitri Mendeleev born?
Dmitri Mendeleev was born in 1834, in Tobolsk, Siberia, Russia.
What is Dmitri Mendeleev's background or ethnicity?
Dmitri Mendeleev's roots are described as Russian, from Siberia. These are broad categories drawn from public sources, not statements about how the person identifies.
Where did Dmitri Mendeleev go to school?
Dmitri Mendeleev's education: Main Pedagogical Institute, St. Petersburg.
What was Dmitri Mendeleev's family background growing up?
At birth the family was working class. The youngest of more than a dozen children; his teacher father went blind the year he was born, and his mother restarted a glass factory to feed the family.
How did Dmitri Mendeleev get started?
Dmitri Mendeleev started with a mother's journey. After the glassworks burned down, his mother rode with him some 2,000 km to St. Petersburg to enroll him; she died months later.
Sources
Compiled from these references and contemporaneous press reporting. Figures are approximate; verify before relying on them.