I regularly review the state of the Hydrogen Society.  Today, I will focus on the history. I've long been intrigued by hydrogen. 70-75% of the mass in the Universe is hydrogen. 90% of atoms are hydrogen. When combusted in air, the result is water. Isotopes tritium and deuterium are the keys to fusion. Why is hydrogen so abundant? The Big Bang produced mostly hydrogen and helium. Colorless and odorless. Hydrogen's simplicity makes it the primary fuel for the formation of stars. Hydrogen consists of one proton and one electron, making it the lightest and simplest atom. Makes up 63% of all atoms in the human body. Hydrogen's story. In 1526, Paraclesus first observed hydrogen gas. Theodore de Mayerne found the gas combustible in 1650. In 1671, Robert Boyle first artificially produced hydrogen. Henry Cavendish in 1766 formally identified it as a distinct element. Antoine Lavoisier coined the name hydrogen from the Greek words hydro (water) and genes (creator). In 1783, Jacques C...