Carbon, Mendelevium, and Mercury

Carbon
It is said that black carbon, charcoal and coal, is the stuff of rebel causes. A real life Robin Hood, named Fulk Fitz Warin, proves this. He was sent to the court of Henry II as a child, then dispossessed and began life as an outlaw. As a child he quarreled with prince John and when he found out that John had become king he lured him in Windsor Forest by pretending to be a charcoal burner. Warin made King John promise to restore his inheritance. Not to much later John resigned and decreed the forest forges be shut down. Maybe because people don't enjoy being ambushed in the woods.
In Basque country Santa Claus was called Olentzero and he was a fat charcoal burner.
Mendelevium
In 1955 the 101st element was named after Dmitrii Mendeleev, he was the first to be commemorated in this manner. Mendelevium is difficult to produce, because it is man made, and when it is produced it decays quickly, so that we do not know much about this element.
Mercury
Mercury is the only element that can produced a perfect reflection. Mercury has always been celebrated because it has both metallic and liquid properties. In Islam if you were rich you had a ornamental pool of mercury. These pools were everywhere so people could touch and enjoy the liquids glittering and reflective properties, this was all of course before we realized the poisonous qualities it also possessed. Mercury was not just used for aesthetic value though because of its density, fluidity and conductivity it was used for cosmetics, its poisonous nature makes it an effective insecticide, and it has been an active ingredient in medicines. Sadly though in 20011the European Union banned the export of mercury to try and limit global exposure.