Promethium is named after Promethius. In Greek mythology, he stole fire from Mount Olympus (Gods) and gave it to man.
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DISCOVERED IN THE USA
In 1902 Branner predicted that there was an element between Neodymium and Samarium. Moseley confirmed this in 1914.
In 1941, scientists at Ohio State University radiated Neodymium and Samarium with neutrons, deutrons, and alpha particles. This created a new radioactivity with the two elements similar to the radioactivity of Promethium.
Wu, Segre, and Beth confirmed the idea of the radioactivity in 1942. In 1945 Marinsky, Glendenin, and Coryell made the first identification. Promethium was made by the fission of uranium and neutron bombarding of neodymium.