What element has the symbol 'P'?

The story behind the answer

Phosphorus has the symbol P. The similarly named metals use different symbols: Platinum is Pt, Palladium is Pd, and Polonium is Po.

Named from Greek “phos” (light) + “phoros” (bearer), phosphorus was discovered in 1669 by Hennig Brand and is famous for white phosphorus glowing in air. It’s essential to life, forming the backbone of DNA and powering cells via ATP, and it’s widely used in fertilizers and safety matches (