Charles Hatchett discovered the element niobium. He identified a new element in a mineral sample (columbite) sent to England from the American colonies in the 18th century and named it columbium, which is now known as niobium. The discovery occurred in 1801, making Hatchett the first to recognize the element, though he did not fully isolate the free metal at that time. The name later shifted to niobium, with "columbium" retained as an alternative name for some years.