Joseph Priestley

Dissenting minister who bottled soda water and isolated the gas we breathe, then fled to America.

Core Principles & Analysis

• In 1774 he isolated "dephlogisticated air" — the oxygen Lavoisier would correctly interpret.
• He invented carbonated water after experimenting above a brewery’s fermentation vats.
• A Birmingham mob burned his home and laboratory in 1791; he emigrated to Pennsylvania.

Specifications & Metrics

• ERA: 1733 – 1804