Whose invention was the battery?

Around 1800 Alessandro Volta built the first device that produced a steady electric current, known as the voltaic pile. It consisted of alternating discs of two different metals, such as copper and zinc, separated by cloth or cardboard soaked in salty water. This stack produced a continuous flow of electricity, unlike the brief sparks known before. Volta invention gave scientists a reliable source of current, which quickly led to many discoveries in electricity and chemistry. The unit of electric potential, the volt, is named in his honour.