On Jul. 10, 1978, the American Chemical Society announced that Glenn Seaborg had been named the recipient of the 1979 Priestley Medal ‘for his numerous contributions to chemistry,” the American Chemical Society’s most prestigious award.

Seaborg reshaped society with his discovery of 10 elements. The element—seaborgium— the first named in honor of a living individual was “a tribute to the high regard in which he was held by the science community.