Niobium (columbium) was discovered in 1801 when the
English chemist Charles Hatchett reported a new element similar
to tantalum and named it columbium. Because its physical
and chemical properties were similar to those of tantalum, the
two metals were often confused. At the same time, columbium
and niobium were determined to be two different metals. In
1864 and 1865, a series of scientific findings clarified that
niobium and columbium were the same element (as distinguished
from tantalum), and for a century both names were
used interchangeably. The name of the element was officially
adopted as niobium in 1949.