It doesn’t mix
Helium is a chemical element that is a member of the noble gas family. This gas, as well as its other family members, got their name because they don’t mix or react with any other element on the periodical table of elements. Just like noble gentry! This is why each helium atom (or any other noble gas atom) is solitary.
It was first found in the sun
In 1868, researchers identified a certain, unfamiliar component in the sunlight. The mysterious component had wavelength unlike any other element known to man back then. It was nicknamed helium after the Greek sun-god — Helius. It was found on Earth only 27 years later, but once it was discovered here, it was a lot simpler to test it in a proper lab.
It is incredibly rare
Due to its snobbish nature, helium plays no part in chemical reactions. It plays no part in our bodily function but it’s not toxic either. Since it’s so inconsequential for common chemical or biological processes, it’s a miracle we know about it at all. In fact, it is the second-rarest element on the planet! (The first place goes to hydrogen, in case you were wondering.) It is also the second-lightest (again, right after hydrogen). That lightness is what makes blimps and helium-filled balloons rise to the sky.
It is nearly impossible to liquefy it
There is a lot of work needed in order to liquefy helium gas. First, you will need to cool it to negative 452.02 degrees, but that won’t be enough — it will need to have extreme pressure applied to it too. In fact, it is the only element in the world that needs more than just cooling to turn to liquid. One it does turn to liquid, however, it becomes nearly magical: liquid helium is a superfluid, and if you place it in an open container, it will climb up the inside of the container and spill out!