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International Year of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements 2019

A yearlong initiative to raise awareness of chemistry and its applications for sustainable development.

The Periodic Table of Chemical Elements is one of the most significant achievements in science, capturing the essence not only of chemistry, but also of physics and biology. It is a unique tool, enabling scientist to predict the appearance and properties of matter on the Earth and in the rest of the Universe. The Periodic Table of Chemical Elements is more than just a guide or catalogue of the entire known atoms in the universe; it is essentially a window on the universe, helping to expand our understanding of the world around us. The year 2019 marks the 150th anniversary of its creation by Russian scientist Dmitry Ivanovich Mendeleev.

The Year was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly (A/RES/72/228) and approved by UNESCO's General Conference (39C/ decision 60).

Watch live!

The International Year of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements 2019 will be launched on 29 January 2019, with a day of conferences and debates highlighting the relevance of the Periodic Table in addressing relevant challenges for sustainable societies, in fields as diverse as health, food security or energy, which will be available through a live webcast.
The programmes includes a lecture by Ben Feringa, 2019 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, a presentation of the latest synthesized elements by Yuri Oganessian, and discussions on applications for sustaiable developement, educational outreach, the origins of elements, and much more.

Follow live from this page on 29 January 2019, from 10:00 am to 07:00 pm (GMT+1):
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Partners

The International Year of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements 2019 will bring together a variety of stakeholders around the world – including scientists, educational institutions, non-profits and private-sector supporters – to foster educational initiatives and scientific collaboration, improve access to science education and reflect on the role of science for society and sustainable development.

The founding partners of the Year are the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC), the European Association for Chemical and Molecular Science (EuCheMS), the International Science Council (ISC), the International Astronomical Union (IAU), the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP) and the International Union of History and Philosophy of Science and Technology (IUHPST).

UNESCO's international Basic Sciences Programme and IUPAC coordinate the year in cooperation with national, regional and international chemical societies and unions, including more than 150 leading scientific centers around the world.