Paul Émile Lecoq de Boisbaudran was a French chemist born on April 18, 1838. He is best known for his discovery of the element gallium in 1875, which he identified while studying the spectrum of light emitted by the element. His work contributed significantly to the field of chemistry and the understanding of the periodic table. In addition to his discovery of gallium, Lecoq de Boisbaudran also studied other elements and their properties. He was a member of the French Academy of Sciences and received several awards for his contributions to science. He passed away on September 28, 1912.