Seaborg

Glenn Theodore Seaborg (April 1912 – February 1999) was an American chemist whose research on heavy elements led to the discovery of plutonium and several transuranium elements, and to the development of the actinide concept in the periodic table. Born in Ishpeming, Michigan, he studied at the University of California, Berkeley, where he earned his PhD in 1937 and joined the Radiation Laboratory, contributing to radiochemical separation techniques and the study of heavy elements.

In 1940, Seaborg, along with Edwin M. McMillan, Joseph W. Kennedy, and Arthur C. Wahl, discovered plutonium (atomic number 94) and elucidated its chemistry, laying the groundwork for the handling of transuranium elements. His group later co-discovered several other heavy elements, including americium and curium, helping to expand the known transuranium series. In 1944 he formulated the actinide concept, proposing that the actinide elements form a distinct series in the periodic table with chemical properties analogous to the lanthanides, a framework that shaped nuclear chemistry and the understanding of heavy elements for decades.

Seaborg was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1951 for his discoveries in the chemistry of transuranium elements and plutonium. He also played a prominent role in public policy as the chairman of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission from 1961 to 1971, shaping research directions and nuclear policy during the Cold War era. In honor of his contributions, element 106 was named seaborgium (Sg) in 1997 by IUPAC. Seaborg passed away in 1999, leaving a lasting legacy in chemistry, nuclear science, and science policy.