Humphry Davy was an English chemist and inventor born on December 17, 1778. He is best known for his discoveries of several alkali and alkaline earth metals, including sodium and potassium. Davy also invented the safety lamp for miners, which helped prevent explosions in coal mines by using a flame that could not ignite flammable gases. Davy's work laid the foundation for modern chemistry, and he was a pioneer in the field of electrochemistry. He was elected a fellow of the Royal Society and received numerous awards for his contributions to science. Davy passed away on July 29, 1829.