Short answers, pulled from the story.
Axel Fredrik Cronstedt isolated nickel in 1751 while attempting to extract copper from ore in the cobalt mines of Los, Hälsingland. This event marked the first time humanity truly understood the metal despite miners blaming a mischievous sprite known as Nickel for centuries.
Most of the nickel on Earth exists deep within the planet's outer and inner cores locked in an iron-nickel alloy. This mixture known as kamacite and taenite generates the magnetic field that protects us from solar radiation.
Ludwig Mond developed a process in the late 19th century that turned nickel into a volatile liquid before transforming it back into pure spheres. The Mond process involved treating nickel oxide with carbon monoxide to form nickel carbonyl which yielded nickel of over 99.99% purity.
Large deposits were discovered in the Sudbury Basin in Canada in 1883 and in the Norilsk-Talnakh region in Russia in 1920. These deposits provided the raw material needed to produce stainless steel which became the backbone of modern infrastructure.
Nickel was removed from coins during World War II to be used in the production of armor and aircraft. The metal was taken from both Canadian and US coins during the war years of 1942 to 1945 to save it for the war effort.
The American Contact Dermatitis Society voted nickel the Allergen of the Year in 2008 due to its status as the top confirmed contact allergen. This condition causes skin irritation and dermatitis in those who are sensitized particularly through jewelry and pierced ears.