Compounds containing Boron have existed for a long time. However the element itself had not been  completely separated from a compound. Boron was discovered in 1808 by Sir Humphry Davy (English Chemist), Joseph-Louis Gay-Lussac and Louis-Jacques Thenard (French Chemists). These chemists isolated Boron by combining Boric Acid (H₃BO₃) with potassium.

    Sir Humphry Davy                                                                                  

     The three chemists produced metallic potassium using electrolysis. Then used the potassium to reduce borates to impure Boron. Gay-Lusssac and Thenard called the element bore, while Davy called it boracium.

Joseph Gay-Lussac