This date in 1745 was the birthdate of Alessandro Volta, Italian scientist and inventor of the electric battery. 10 facts about him.
Volta was born in Como in northern Italy. His father, Filippo Volta, was of noble lineage.
His family expected him to become a priest, but he chose a career in science and family life instead. This led to speculation that he had no religious belief, but that wasn’t true. He maintained his Catholic faith all his life.
His wife’s name was Teresa Peregrini, who like him, was from Como. They had three sons: Zanino, Flaminio, and Luigi.
His work built on that of Luigi Galvani, the guy who discovered that touching a skinned Frog’s leg with different metals caused the leg to move. Volta concluded that the frog’s leg was merely a conductor and wasn’t actually generating electricity. He did similar experiments without using frogs, just different metals, and found that the current was generated just the same. He called it “metallic electricity.”
His method of detecting weak electric currents between two metals was to place them on his tongue.
He went on to invent something called the voltaic column, an early battery, which consisted of alternating disks of Zinc and Silver (alternatively Copper and pewter) separated by Paper or cloth soaked in salt Water or sodium hydroxide.
He was also credited with discovering methane gas.
Volta demonstrated his battery to Napoleon Bonaparte, who was so impressed that he made Volta a count.
Volta retired in 1819 to his estate in Como and died there on 5 March 1827, just after his 82nd birthday.
The volt unit of measurement is named for him. Also named for him is a species of electric Eel, Electrophorus voltai, which as been described as the strongest bioelectricity producer in nature.
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