The Greek thinker Empedocles first classified the fundamental elements as fire, air, earth, and water, although our particular diagram reflects Aristotle's classification.

Did you know?
The ancient Chinese believed that the five basic components (in Pinyin, Wu Xing) of the physical universe were earth, wood, metal, fire, and water. And in India, the Samkhya-karikas by Ishvarakrsna (c. 3rd century AD) proclaims the five gross elements to be space, air, fire, water, and earth.