Chemical Element: europium

(Modern Latin: chemical element; named for Europe; rare earth)

Chemical-Element Information

Symbol: Eu
Atomic number: 63
Year discovered: 1896

Discovered by: Eugéne-Anatole Demarçay (1852-1903), a French chemist.


  • The discovery of europium is generally credited to Eugéne-Anatole Demarçay, who separated the earth in reasonably pure form in 1901 from a material containing largely samarium.
  • Pure europium metal was not isolated until much more recently.
  • It is used in the manufacture of nuclear control rods.

Name in other languages:

French: europium

German: Europium

Italian: europio

Spanish: europio


Information about other elements may be seen at this Chemical Elements List.

A special unit about words that include chemo-, chem- may be seen here.