Alessandro Volta Builds His Pile
1799
In Pavia, the Italian physicist stacked discs of zinc and silver separated by brine-soaked cloth and drew a steady current - the first battery. He would announce it formally to London in 1800. Galvani had shown electricity twitching frog legs; Volta made it flow. Electricity was about to leave the lecture hall and enter the laboratory.
In context
Also in 1799 (7 other events on record)
- Napoleon's Coup of 18 Brumaire · Europe · Politics
- Death of George Washington · North America · Politics
- Rosetta Stone Discovered · Middle East · Science
- Ranjit Singh Takes Lahore · South Asia · Politics
- Tipu Sultan Dies at Seringapatam · South Asia · War
- Second Coalition Defeats French at Novi · Europe · War
Before and after in Europe
Before and after in Science
Era
Enlightenment (1651–1800), one of 696 events from that era on Saeculum.
Sources