Helium is an inert noble gas with the chemical symbol He and the atomic number 2. Its boiling and melting points are the lowest of any known element. Helium is both the second lightest and second most abundant element in the universe. Helium exists naturally in a gaseous state and is colorless, odorless and tasteless. It was named after the Greek god of the sun, Helios. It was first detected by French astronomer Jules Janssen and Norman Lockyer in 1868 during a solar eclipse. It was officially discovered in 1895 by two Swedish chemists, Per Teodor Cleve and Nils Abraham Langlet. Helium has a number of applications in the world today. This post will take you through some of the common uses of helium.