Symbol: Ti (you can see where they got that from)
Atomic number: 22 ("Two little ducks")
Overview: Titanium is corrosion resistant. Really, quite astonishingly corrosion resistant. Indeed, if you've got a moment, anyone who has an item they don't want to corrode ought to coat it in Titanium pretty damn quick. With this being the case, the chances are you've either driven, flown in or are wearing at this very moment something that contains Titanium.
Discovered: In 1791 by William Gregor in that most scientifically receptive corner of the UK, Cornwall. Tales that the locals saw the discovery as proof that Gregor was a witch and should therefore be drowned/stoned/a combination of the two have never been confirmed.
What it looks like: A lustrous silvery-grey metal.
What it does: It's not so much what it does but what it doesn't do which is, as you might have gathered by now, in no way corrode. It also has the highest strength-to-weight ratio of any metal so making it the Julio Cesar Chavez of the metallic world.
What it's used for: It's used in steel as an alloying agent. It's also highly popular with the military where it's strength, high corrosion resistance and high crack resistance (honestly, it hasn't touched any for ages) mean it's present in everything from armour plating to battle ships. NASA and Boeing are also big fans.
You might not know this but: There are two characters in the Marvel Universe who've rejoiced in the name of Titanium Man, both of whom were Russian and each of whom crossed swords with Tony Stark's alter ego Iron Man.