Volta, Alessandro Giuseppe Antonio Anastasio

Born: February 18, 1745

Electricity Pioneer.
Born in Como, Italy.

Volta is remembered for his invention in 1799 of the first electric battery, chemically producing an electric current with plates of two different metals soaking in brine. About 25 years earlier, Volta invented the electrophorus, a device for creating large amounts of static electricity still used today. In 1778 he was the first to isolate the gas methane (CH4).

In 1881 an important electrical unit, the volt, was named in his honor. Volta's portrait was also on the 10000-lira note.

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