Celebrating 150 Years with the Periodic Table
The year 2019 has been designated as the International Year of the Periodic Table (#IYPT2019) by the United Nations General Assembly (UN) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO.) The UN-inspired celebration marks the 150th anniversary of the periodic table of chemical elements proposed by Dmitry Mendeleev in 1869. The periodic table is considered one of the most important achievements in science, not only in chemistry but in biology, earth sciences, physics and medicine. To coincide with the UN designation, Governor Jay Inslee has declared 2019 the Year of the Periodic Table in the state of Washington.
To celebrate locally, science faculty at Western Washington University and Whatcom Community College invited high school and college students, families and teachers to join them at a community event from 4 to 7 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 12, at the Spark Museum, 1312 Bay Street, in downtown Bellingham. Admission is free. The event will include a Wizards of Western Chemistry show, as well as an historical portrayal of Dmitri Mendeleev and his international colleagues presented by faculty and students. Additionally, informational booths will demonstrate the modern state of discovery of new chemical elements worldwide. A Q/A session with faculty will conclude the day.
