2011: A Chemical Odyssey

When the ball dropped in Times Square December 31 a few seconds before midnight, it marked the beginning of a new year--a year to "celebrate the achievements of chemistry and its contributions to the well-being of humankind." That's right, 2011 was named the International Year of Chemistry by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), an honor five years in the making. The International Year of Chemistry's website is chock-full of information from an IYC network to help you get involved to events and news from all over the world. The American Chemical Society has a great day calendar of daily Chemistry events--365: Chemistry for Life. January 1 marks the date in 1907 that the first issue of the Chemical Abstracts Service was published. And despite your side in the Butter vs. Margarine debate, January 3 marks the date in 1871 when oleomargarine was patented. Check out these websites for a taste of IYC 2011!