Lavoisier

A french scientist living during the French Revolution, Lavoisier was the first to accurately record the seperation of oxidized mercury into oxygen and mercury. His measurements led him to propose one of the fundamental theories of chemistry that mass is conserved. This discovery along with a book he published which became the first chemistry textbook have made Lovoisier one of France's greatest scientists. Unfortunately, he was put to death by the revolutionary government in the year 1794.