Alessandro Volta

Alessandro Volta, one of the most well-known Italian inventors of all time, has already been discussed. Along with inventing methane, which is a little less widely known, he is credited with developing the first electrical battery. The realization that electricity could be produced by a chemical reaction opened up countless revolutionary opportunities for human advancement and pioneered experimental physics. It's interesting to note that Italian scientist Luigi Galvani was also responsible for the discovery of the so-called animal electricity.

The metric unit for electric potential is still known as the Volt, after Alessandro Volta. Of course, the initial battery was a big thing with two electrodes constructed of discs of copper and zinc submerged in a solution of water and sulphuric acid, so it probably wasn't the most convenient way to power home equipment. However, Volta's experiment inspired others to expand on his finding, which resulted in the creation of a number of battery-powered devices that eventually gave rise to the ubiquitous nature of portable electronics that we now experience in our daily lives.