Tetrahedral carbon atom

A new three-dimensional representation of organic molecules demonstrated that molecules must be asymmetric to rotate polarized light, showing that the four valence bonds of the carbon atom pointed towards the vertices of a tetrahedron.
 Jacobus Henricus van 't Hoff Netherlands 1874 Tetrahedral carbon atom

A new three-dimensional representation of organic molecules demonstrated that molecules must be asymmetric to rotate polarized light, showing that the four valence bonds of the carbon atom pointed towards the vertices of a tetrahedron.