This Day in Science History - August 31 - Michel-Eugene Chevreul

August 31^st is Michel-Eugene Chevreul's birthday. Chevereul was a French chemist who made many discoveries in the chemistry of fats. He discovered glycerol and described fats as glycerides of organic acids. His discovery of oleic acid led to his invention of margarine. In his later years, he turned his attention to the study of color. He found that colors can complement each other in contrast and tone. He arranged the visible colors in a circle with thousands of tints with their complement directly across the circle. His book, The Laws of Contrast of Color, was translated to English and German and was the handbook for many 19th Century artists.

Fat and color research must have agreed with him; he lived to the ripe age of 102. Find out what else occurred on this day in science history.

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