What object powers a variety of different types of electronics and can be found in virtually every home? Well, if you guessed batteries, then you have guessed correctly. Batteries are devices that store energy for us and are used to power everything from remote controls to cell phones and digital cameras.

They are so ubiquitous in our lives that if they suddenly ceased to exist, then modern life would grind to a halt. These little bundles of energy are so important, they have even earned their own holiday—a holiday that falls on the 18th of February and is known as National Battery Day.

The History Of National Battery Day & Batteries

Although no one knows who invented National Battery Day, we do know that its date on the calendar is due to the fact that Alessandro Volta was born on February 18, 1745. This Italian physicist invented the first true battery in 1800.

He stacked discs of copper and zinc and then separated them using a cloth that had been soaked in saltwater. This allowed electrons to move freely between the plates and created a current that could be tapped. While Alessandro Volta’s device was the first truly modern battery, it wasn’t the first battery ever invented.

For that, you have to go back to sometime between 250 B.C. and 240 A.D. This is when the now infamous object known as the Baghdad Battery or Parthian Battery was created. This device was made with a ceramic pot, a tube of copper, and a rod of iron.

More than likely, it contained some kind of acidic liquid, perhaps vinegar, that allowed it to be used just like a battery. What was this battery likely used for? No one knows, but some of the theories for its use include storage for sacred scrolls and perhaps some kind of electrotherapy.

Fun Facts About Batteries

Are you having trouble getting enough battery-related trivia? If so, then you may want to sit back and enjoy this section of this holiday guide. We have come across all kinds of interesting facts about batteries during the course of our research, and we want to share some of those facts with you today. So if you’re as big of a battery nerd as we are, then you’re going to want to hang with us for a little bit longer.

• The first rechargeable battery was invented by French physicist Gaston Planté in 1859.
• Although batteries have an expiration date, that doesn’t mean that they are dead by that date.
• When batteries exceed their expiration date, they may lose some efficiency, but most continue to work for quite some time after that date.
• The word “battery” was first used by the military to define a group of weapons used together.
• Benjamin Franklin borrowed the word “battery” to describe his Leyden jars—electrical components that store high-voltage electric charges.
• Potatoes can be used to power a clock—a trick performed in schools all over the world.

Celebrating National Battery Day

National Battery Day can be celebrated in any number of different ways on February 18th. You can use the day to check the batteries that are in your smoke detectors and remotes. You can take your used batteries to a recycling center, or you can use the day to learn more about batteries and how they work.

After all, batteries might not be the most fascinating or interesting devices in the world, but without them, our lives would be very different. In fact, our modern lives wouldn’t function without these little devices. Batteries have literally transformed the world and have allowed modern society to be the wireless one it is today.