Artificial radioactive element properties unknown	memory peg
	1964 Г.Н.Флеров (G.N. Flerov) and co-workers, Dubna, Russia 1969 Albert Ghiorso and co-workers, Berkeley, Calif., USA
	Berkeley group named after Ernest Rutherford (1871-1937), ratified by IUPAC 1997 Dubna group after Igor Vasilevitch Kurchatov (1903-1960)

First preparation by Russian and American teams:

• 1964 by Г.Н. Флеров (Georgy Nikolaevich Flerov), Юрий Цолакович Оганесян (Yuri Tsolakovich Oganessian), Ю.В. Лобанов (Yu.V. Lobanov), V.I. Kuznetsov, V.A. Druin, V.P. Perelygin, K.A. Gavrilov, C.П. Третьякова (S.P. Tretiakova), and V.M. Plotko at the Объединенный Институт Ядерных Исследований (ОИЯИ) - Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR) at Дубна (Dubna), Russia, by bombardment of Plutonium with Neon ions and named Курчатовий (Kurchatovium) (Ku) after Igor Vasilevitch Kurchatov (1903-1960), head of the Soviet Nuclear Research.
• 1969 by Albert Ghiorso, M. Nurmia, J. Harris, K. Eskola and P. Eskola at the Berkeley Laboraty of the University of California by bombardment of Californium with Carbon ions and named Rutherfordium.

The systematic IUPAC name was Unnilquadium (Unq). In 1994 IUPAC proposed the name Dubnium because it was first discovered at Дубна (Dubna) (cf. Dubnium). The American Chemical Society proposed Rutherfordium, the name given by Ghiorso a.o. in 1969. The latter became also the current IUPAC name. Dubnium was then used for element 105. The name and symbol Rutherfordium (Rf) was ratified by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) Council meeting in Geneva during August 1997 (see "Naming the transfermium elements" on the Mendelevium page).

Ernest Rutherford (1871-1937). New Zealand physicist, a pioneer of modern atomic science. His main research was in the field of radioactivity, and he discovered alpha, beta, and gamma rays. He was the first to recognize the nuclear nature of the atom, and named the nucleus.
He was awarded a Nobel prize in 1908, and in 1931 was created Baron Rutherford of Nelson, New Zealand.

Variant names of elements 104-108
No.	syst. IUPAC	IUPAC 1997	proposals
104	Unq Unnilquadium	Rf Rutherfordium	Db Dubnium (1) Ku Kurchatovium (3)
105	Unp Unnilpentium	Db Dubnium	Jo Joliotium (1) Ha Hahnium (2) Ns Nielsbohrium (3)
106	Unh Unnilhexium	Sg Seaborgium	Rf Rutherfordium (1)
107	Uns Unnilseptium	Bh Bohrium (1)	Ns Nielsbohrium (2, 4)
108	Uno Unniloctium	Hs Hassium (4)	Ha Hahnium (1)
(1) IUPAC 1994; (2) ACS 1994; (3) ОИЯИ (JINR); (4) GSI 1992 See "Naming the transfermium elements" on the Mendelevium page

Further reading:

• Mary Elvira Weeks, Discovery of the Elements, comp. rev. by Heny M. Leicester (Easton, Pa.: Journal of Chemical Education, 1968), pp. 851-852.
• Earl K. Hyde & Glenn T. Seaborg, Transurane : Teil A 1, I: Die Elemente. Gmelins Handbuch der anorganische Chemie, Ergänzungswerk zur 8. Aufl.; Band 7a. Weinheim/Bergstrasse: Chemie, 1973.