William Gregor was an English mineralogist and chemist, born on December 3, 1761, in Cornwall, England. He is best known for his discovery of the element titanium in 1791, which he identified while analyzing a mineral called ilmenite. His work laid the foundation for further research into this important metal, which is widely used in various industries today. In addition to his discovery of titanium, Gregor contributed to the field of mineralogy through his studies of various minerals and their properties. He was also a member of the Royal Society, where he shared his findings with other scientists. His contributions have had a lasting impact on both chemistry and materials science.