Alessandro Volta died on 5 March 1827 in Como, aged 82. An Italian physicist and chemist, Volta invented the electric battery. His voltaic pile, made of alternating discs of zinc and copper separated by cloth soaked in brine, produced a steady electric current for the first time and was announced in 1800. It grew out of a debate with Luigi Galvani, who attributed the twitching of frog legs to animal electricity, while Volta argued that the effect came from contact between different metals. He also discovered methane and invented the electrophorus, and the unit of electric potential, the volt, bears his name.
Before and after
- from 31 July 1826 to 22 February 1828Russo-Persian War of 1826–28
- 17 September 1826Birth of Bernhard Riemann
- from 18 November 1826 to 24 November 1826Battle of Arachova
- 5 March 1827Death of Pierre-Simon Laplace
- 5 March 1827Death of Alessandro Volta
- 15 March 1827Founding of University of Toronto
- 26 March 1827Death of Ludwig van Beethoven
- 5 April 1827Birth of Joseph Lister
- 20 October 1827Battle of Navarino
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- 30 June 1808Discovery of boron
- 6 March 1869Periodic table
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- 1894Discovery of argon
The era
This moment belongs to the Industrial era (1760 CE to 1914 CE), steam, factories and revolutions. You can also browse everything in the 19th century.