The Italian physicist Alessandro Volta is generally credited with having developed the first operable battery. Following up on the earlier work of his compatriot Luigi Galvani, Volta performed a series of experiments on electrochemical phenomena during the 1790s. By about 1800 he had built his simple battery, which later came to be known as the “voltaic pile.” This device consisted of alternating zinc and silver disks separated by layers of paper or cloth soaked in a solution of either sodium hydroxide or brine.

Source: Britannica