The chemist’s name was Antoine Lavoisier. His name won’t be familiar to you, but his accomplishments will be. Lavoisier is partly responsible for creating the metric system, as well as including Hydrogen on the periodic table of elements. In 1794, Lavoisier was condemned to death by a people’s court for his discoveries. He pleaded for mercy so that he could continue his work, but the judge refused.
After waiting a year, he finally walked up to the guillotine. Lavoisier said that he would try his best to blink for as long as he could after being beheaded. The actual time he spent blinking varies depending on what source you’re reading, but some records state that he blinked for up to 30 seconds! Learn more about Lavoisier’s death in the source.