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Alessandro Volta was born on the 18th of February, in Como Lombardy Italy, and he lived with his parents Flippo and Maddalena.
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In 1769 he published his first paper on electricity. It summarised known information and included his ideas about electricity.
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In 1774 Alessandro Volta was appointed Professor of Physics at the gymnasium in Como, and that same year invented the electrophorus. The electrophorus provided short bursts of static electricity.
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Between 1776 and 1778, Volta visited local swamps and he was the first person to discover swamp gas. The gas was used to light gas lanterns.
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In 1779 Volta was appointed to the newly created chair of physics at the University of Pavia.
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In 1782 Valta became a corresponding member of the French Academy of Sciences.
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In 1791 he was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of London.
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In 1794 Volta married Teresa Peregrini, daughter of Count Peregrini. The couple had three sons. In 1794, in recognition of his contributions to electricity and chemistry, he was awarded the Royal Society of London’s coveted Copley Medal. However, his most significant researches. Those which were to lead to the discovery of current electricity—were yet to be undertaken.
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Volta thought that frogs legs twitched because the solution in the leg made a connection between the two metals. He demonstrated by using a coin and some foil all placed on the tongue.
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In 1088 Volta discovered that not only would two non-similar metals in contact produce a small electrical effect, but metals in contact with certain types of fluids would also produce such effects. In fact, the best results were found when two non-similar metals were held in contact and this completed the circuit between them. Such observations led directly to the construction in 1800 of the electric battery, or "pile" as Volta called it, the first source of a significant electric current.
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Alessandro Volta announced his discovery in a letter to Sir Joseph Banks. The letter, dated March 20th, 1800, created an instant sensation. Here for the first time was an instrument capable of producing a steady, continuous flow of electricity. All previous electrical machines, including Volta's electrophorus, had produced only short bursts of static electricity.
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In 1818 Volta was summoned to Paris by Napoleon and in 1801 gave a series of lectures on his discoveries before the National Institute of France, as the Academy of Sciences was then called. A special gold medal was struck to honor the occasion, and the following year Volta was distinguished by election as one of the eight foreign associates of the institute.
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In 1819 he (Alassandro Volta) retired to his family home near Como.
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He died there on the 5th of March 1827; little realizing that current electricity would eventually transform a way of life.
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In 1881 an important electrical unit, the volt, was named in his honor.
