Neon was discovered in 1898.
In more detail, neon was discovered in London in 1898 by two British chemists, Sir William Ramsay and Morris W. Travers. They discovered the element while experimenting with liquefied air.
The Discovery Process
Ramsay cooled a sample of atmospheric air until it turned into a liquid. Then, he slowly warmed the liquid, capturing the gases that boiled off at different temperatures. By carefully analyzing these gases, they were able to isolate and identify neon, along with other noble gases like krypton and xenon. Neon was identified by its brilliant, distinctive red glow when an electrical current was passed through it. The name "neon" comes from the Greek word neos, meaning "new".
