The histories of the transition elements vary enormously, and any attempt to identify a pattern - as is evident, say, for the lanthanides or the noble gases - would be misleading. Some, such as silver, gold, copper and iron, have been known for thousands of years, and have helped to shape civilizations, the latter two, in particular, allowing humanity to make great technological steps forward, steps of such importance that the elements have whole ages named after them. Other transition metals, such as technetium, which was the first element to be artificially produced, by Emilio SegrĪ and Carlo Perrier in 1937, have far shorter and less illustrious histories, and have made little or no impact on daily life.
Copper proved of huge importance during the Bronze Age, being used in many everyday items, and providing a popular material for sculpture. Iron too is of great historical significance, having been essential to the Industrial Revolution; the ability to produce large quantities of the metal, for example, allowed a rapid expansion of the railway network. Several of the transition metals were of interest to the alchemists; gold, in particular, proved a focus of their attentions.
