Where to Buy United States About Energizer Power Lighting Responsibility Promotions Battery History About Batteries How Batteries Work What is Inside a Battery Battery Chemistry Battery Leakage Battery History Battery Care No Leak Guarantee Battery FAQ Intro It’s hard to believe there was a time before batteries! Read about the history of batteries and learn how they came to be the portable powerhouses they are today. Most historians date the start of battery development from the late 18th century. However, some archeological finds may push the date of origin back as far as 2,000 years ago. In 1938, Wilhelm Konig made a discovery in Iraq of a 5-inch pottery jar containing a copper cylinder that encased an iron rod. Konig decided that this was an ancient battery. The history of batteries and development of devices go hand in hand. When Eveready invented the first miniature batteries in the late 1950’s, most of the world stopped winding watches. Alkaline batteries provided enough power to make way for portable radios, boom boxes and toys that beep and blink. With the introduction of lithium batteries, it opened up a whole new world of long-lasting power for high-tech devices from digital cameras to MP3 players and handheld computers. 1700 1798 – Italian physicist Count Alessandro Volta built his first “voltaic pile.” The crude battery consisted of a stack of paired copper zinc disks separated from one another by cardboard disks moistened with salt or acid solution. 12345678 Power Compare Batteries Compare Chargers Battery History Battery Care How Do Batteries Work Lighting Lighting Finder Flashlight History Flashlight Care How Do Flashlights Work Responsibility Battery Recycling Coin Lithium Battery Safety Change Your Clock, Change Your Batteries™ Preparedness Top 5 Ways to Prepare for a Power Outage About Energizer Innovation Sustainability Bunny Center Bunny Store Media Center Contact Us Energizer Holdings, Inc. Company History Locations Leadership Investor Relations Career Center Technical Info Privacy Policy Site Map © 2000-2021 Energizer. Energizer, Energizer Bunny design, and certain graphic designs are trademarks of Energizer Brands, LLC and related subsidiaries. All other trademarks are trademarks of their respective owners. Please review our cookies disclosure statement for more information. All product and company names are trademarks™ or registered® trademarks of their respective holders. Use of them does not imply any affiliation with or endorsement by them.