When was aluminium first isolated?

Aluminium was first isolated in 1825 by Hans Christian Ørsted. The metal was still very difficult to produce in useful quantities, so early samples were tiny and expensive. Later, in the 1850s and 1860s, better methods made aluminium more accessible, and it eventually became one of the most widely used metals in the world. Its light weight and resistance to corrosion made it valuable for transport, construction, and packaging.