Rutherfordium is a synthetic element, meaning that it was created in a lab rather than being found naturally. It was first discovered in 1964 by a team of scientists in Dubna, Russia, and has since been synthesized in a few other labs around the world. It is a member of the transactinide elements, which are the heaviest and most unstable elements on the periodic table. It is named after physicist Ernest Rutherford, who made significant contributions to our understanding of atomic structure and nuclear physics.