Mikhail Lomonosov, Russian physicist, chemist, astronomer, and geographer (d. 1765)
Mikhail (Mikhaylo) Vasilyevich Lomonosov (; Russian: Михаил (Михайло) Васильевич Ломоносов; November 19 [O.S. November 8] 1711 – April 15 [O.S. April 4] 1765) was a Russian polymath, scientist and writer, who made important contributions to literature, education, and science. Among his discoveries were the atmosphere of Venus and the law of conservation of mass in chemical reactions. His spheres of science were natural science, chemistry, physics, mineralogy, history, art, philology, optical devices and others. Founder of modern geology, Lomonosov was also a poet and influenced the formation of the modern Russian literary language.