Who is credited with discovering oxygen?

A hard history trivia prompt from the quest1on archive. Try it first, then compare your answer with the explanation and related questions below.

Explanation

Carl Wilhelm Scheele discovered oxygen in 1772 — two years before Joseph Priestley's independent discovery in 1774. Lavoisier named it. History initially credited Priestley.

Did you know?

Carl Wilhelm Scheele discovered oxygen in 1772 — two years before Joseph Priestley's independent discovery in 1774. Lavoisier named it. History initially credited Priestley.

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