250 BC: The oldest known electrical cells date from this time and were used by the Sumerians, in what is now Iraq, possibly to electroplate objects or for medicinal purposes. They were 1.1volt “jar” cells.
Late 1790s: Alessandro Volta (Italian) was the first to produce a “dry” cell battery when he used silver (+) and zinc (-) plates to produce electricity. Note: The word “volt” was named after him.
About 1866: Georges Leclanche (French) patented what became known the “wet” cell battery. He used crushed manganese dioxide/carbon (+) and a zinc rod (-). It was the forerunner of the widely used zinc carbon cell battery.
