Oxygen was first discovered by Michał Sędziwój, Polish alchemist and philosopher in late 16th century. Sędziwój assumed the existence of oxygen by warming nitre. He thought of the gas given off as "the elixir of life".

      Oxygen was again discovered by the Swedish pharmacist Carl Wilhelm Scheele sometime before 1773, but the discovery was not published until after the discovery by Joseph Priestley on August 1, 1774, who called the gas dephlogisticated air. Priestley published his discoveries in 1775 and Scheele in 1777; consequently Priestley is usually given the credit. It was named by Antoine Laurent Lavoisier after Priestley's publication in 1775.

      The main use oxygen is for life. We use it to breath. Oxygen is also used for welding, aid for respiration for patients and it can also be used for steel manufacturing.