William Crookes, a twenty-nine year-old British scientist, announced his discovery of the chemical element thallium in the Chemical News in London. He had first noticed the new element on March 7, 1861 during his experiments with spectrum analysis. French chemist Claude-August Lamy also discovered thallium independently around the same time. It is used in electronics, pharmaceuticals, and in optics. It was named after Thallia, the Greek muse of comedy and poetry. (By John Osborne)
Source Citation
William H. Brock, William Crookes (1832-1919) and the Commercialization of Science (Burlington, VT: Ashgate Publishing Company, 2008), 65-67.