Energizer CA

Battery History

Battery History

Intro

Collection of Energizer batteries

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.