The development of the periodic table is credited to Dmitri Mendeleev, a Russian chemist who created the first version in 1869. Mendeleev organized the known elements based on their atomic mass and similar chemical properties, revealing a recurring pattern, or periodicity, among them. His work allowed him to predict the properties of undiscovered elements, demonstrating the table's utility in understanding chemical relationships. While Mendeleev is often recognized for his foundational contributions, revisions have continued, leading to the modern periodic table which is arranged by atomic number, reflecting advances in atomic theory and synthesis of elements.