Antoine Jérôme Balard

Born in Montpellier, France on September 30th, 1802, Balard began his career as an apothecary. He later transitioned into teaching, serving as a chemical assistant at the faculty of sciences in his hometown. Subsequently, he became a professor of chemistry at the royal college, school of pharmacy, and faculty of sciences. In 1826, Balard made a significant discovery while studying seawater: he identified a substance that he recognized as a previously unknown element, which he named bromine. Unbeknownst to him, Carl Jacob Löwig had independently prepared the same element the year before, and thus both men are credited with its discovery.