The Baghdad Battery, the world's oldest ceramic pot battery, was found in the remains of Khu jut Rabu near Baghdad. It is over 2,000 years old and was initially believed to be used for metallic plating rather than generating electricity.

In 1749, Benjamin Franklin first used the term 'battery' to describe a set of linked capacitors he used for his experiments with electricity. These capacitors were charged with a static generator and discharged by touching metal to their electrode, providing a stronger discharge.

In 1780, Italian biologist Luigi Galvani found that when two different metals touched a dead frog's leg, it caused the leg to twitch due to an electrical current. This experiment is considered the first step towards understanding the principle behind batteries.

Alessandro Volta created the 'Voltaic pile', which was a stack of zinc and silver disks separated by a wet cloth containing a salt or a weak acid solution, marking the first battery known to Western civilization.

In 1791, Alessandro Volta invented the first true battery, known as the voltaic pile. This battery stored and released a charge through a chemical reaction, unlike the Leyden jar which stored charge physically.

Alessandro Volta invented the Voltaic Pile in 1800, which was the first practical method of generating electricity. It consisted of alternating discs of zinc and copper with pieces of cardboard soaked in brine between the metals, producing a reliable current of electricity.

William Cruickshank improves Volta's messy voltaic pile design by creating the trough battery, which overcomes design faults and leakage issues, still used in some battery types today.

Sir Humphry Davy built a 2000-plate battery occupying 889 square feet in the basement of Britain's Royal Society. His earlier batteries provided power for the first public demonstration of electric lighting using carbon arc.

The Daniell Cell Battery was introduced in 1820 as an improvement to the voltaic pile. It addressed some of the issues faced by Volta's battery, such as electrolyte leaks and short battery life. The Daniell Cell was a significant advancement in battery technology.

In 1835, William Sturgeon solved the problem of local action in batteries by finding that amalgamated zinc, treated with mercury, did not suffer from degradation caused by minute short-circuits forming around impurities in the zinc.

In 1836, English professor of chemistry John Frederic Daniell invented the Daniell cell, which solved the hydrogen bubble problem in the Voltaic Pile by using a second electrolyte. It provided a longer and more reliable current than the Voltaic cell and became the industry standard for use.

In 1837, Golding Bird, a physician at Guy's Hospital, invented a version of the Daniell cell using a plaster of Paris barrier to keep the solutions separate. His experiments were significant in the field of electrometallurgy.

William Robert Grove invented the first fuel cell, which produced electricity by combining hydrogen and oxygen.

Welshman William Robert Grove invented the Grove cell in 1839. It consists of a zinc anode dipped in sulfuric acid and a platinum cathode dipped in nitric acid, separated by porous earthenware. The Grove cell provided high current and nearly twice the voltage of the Daniell cell, making it popular in American telegraph networks for a period.

In 1842, German scientist Johann Christian Poggendorff invented the Poggendorff cell, which addressed the issues of separating the electrolyte and depolarizer in batteries by using a porous earthenware pot.

In 1859, Gaston Planté invented the lead–acid battery, the first-ever rechargeable battery. It consists of a lead anode and a lead dioxide cathode immersed in sulfuric acid. The lead-acid battery can be recharged by passing a reverse current through it, making it a significant advancement in battery technology.

Georges Leclanché invented a battery using a zinc anode and a manganese dioxide cathode with an ammonium chloride electrolyte. By adding carbon to the cathode, the battery had faster absorption and a longer shelf life.

Camille Alphonse Faure improved the lead-acid battery by designing a cell with lead grid lattice and lead oxide paste pressed plates stacked together for better performance. The initial model consisted of two lead sheets separated by rubber strips in a spiral form.

Georges Leclanché, a Frenchman, invented the Leclanché cell in 1868. This invention marked the beginning of modern dry batteries, although it had the drawback of the ammonium chloride solution spilling over.

Camille Alphonse Faure improved the lead-acid battery by designing a cell with lead mesh grids and pressed lead oxide paste. Stacking layers of these plate combinations enhanced the battery's performance.

Alfred Dun invented the Dun cell in 1885, which used nitro-muriatic acid (aqua regis), iron, and carbon. The element contained carbon and concentrated nitro-muriatic acid in one cell and iron and dilute nitro-muriatic acid in the other, remaining constant for at least twenty hours when used for electric incandescent lighting.

In 1886, Carl Gassner obtained a German patent for a variant of the Leclanché cell, known as the dry cell. This dry cell did not have a free liquid electrolyte, instead using a paste mixture of ammonium chloride and plaster of Paris. It was more solid, maintenance-free, and led to the invention of the flashlight.

Carl Gassner invented a dry cell battery using Plaster of Paris and zinc chloride to improve shelf life, obtaining a US Patent in 1887. This innovation led to the creation of the first mass-centric battery.

Carl Gassner, a German inventor, created a battery in 1888 that eliminated the risk of solution spilling. This innovation led to the development of the dry cell or dry battery.

In 1892, Yai Sakizō of Japan patented his dry battery design, which was later exhibited at the World's Columbian Exposition in 1893. This innovation garnered significant international attention and showcased advancements in battery technology.

The National Carbon company, later known as Eveready, begins mass production of Carl Gassner’s dry disposable zinc-carbon cell battery. The invention of the flashlight in 1899 ensures the company’s success.

Waldemar Jungner, a Swedish engineer, invented the nickel-cadmium battery in 1899. This groundbreaking battery laid the foundation for modern storage batteries.

Thomas Edison developed a new type of battery using iron as the anode, nickel oxide as the cathode, and potassium chloride as the conductor. Initially intended for vehicles, the Edison battery found more success in the industrial and railroad sectors.

In 1901, Thomas Edison patented an alkaline based nickel-iron battery as a potential lightweight and durable option for electric cars. Despite facing initial challenges with leakage and battery life, the battery found success in other applications such as electric and diesel-electric rail vehicles.

Thomas Edison patents the rechargeable Nickel-iron battery invented by Waldemar Jungner. Edison hoped it would become the battery of choice for cars, but Ford’s decision to use gasoline engines ended his aspirations. Tougher than lead acid, it is vibration resistant and still used in the mining industry today.

The Nickel-Iron cell was developed in 1905.

Gilbert Newton Lewis initiated the experimentation on lithium batteries, leading to the commercial availability of lithium batteries in the latter part of the century. Key developments included the discoveries of LiCoO2 cathode by John Goodenough, graphite anode by Rachid Yazami, and the rechargeable lithium battery prototype by Asahi Chemical, Japan.

The Nickel-cadmium battery was introduced.

The Mercury cell, developed by Ruben and Mallory, was one of the first 'button'-type cells widely used in cameras and hearing aids due to its constant 1.34v output. However, many countries have banned its sales to reduce mercury contamination.

Lew Urry created the first commercial alkaline dry cell, which replaced corrosive NH4Cl with KOH, lasting 5-8 times longer than older dry cells.

The arrival of alkaline batteries marked a significant advancement in battery technology. Alkaline batteries provided longer-lasting power compared to traditional batteries, leading to widespread adoption in various electronic devices.

Lew Urry, working for the National Carbon company, invented the disposable alkaline cell in 1958. It lasted longer than zinc-carbon batteries and had a higher power/weight ratio, making it popular in various applications.

In 1959, engineer Lewis Urry introduced alkaline batteries as a more promising alternative to zinc-carbon batteries, with a cathode of manganese dioxide and a powdered zinc anode with an alkaline electrolyte, providing longer battery life.

Duracell was incorporated in 1964, becoming a well-known battery brand in the market.

In 1972, Enersys became the first company to commercially use Absorbent Glass Mat (AGM) technology, which marked a significant advancement in battery technology.

Duracell brand was introduced in 1973, but it had been competing in the battery market under the Mallory brand since the 1930s. Initially, the batteries were mercury-based and popular with the military for their ability to handle extreme temperatures.

In 1980, John B. Goodenough discovered the LiCoO2 cathode and Rachid Yazami discovered the graphite anode, laying the foundation for modern lithium batteries.

Lead acid gel batteries were introduced in 1981 as a new type of battery technology. These batteries offered advantages over traditional lead acid batteries, such as reduced risk of spillage and improved durability.

In 1983, archeologists found ceramic jars in Khujut Rabu near Baghdad containing copper sheets rolled up with an iron bar. Wilhelm König suggested that this copper and iron combination could have been used as a primitive form of galvanic cells or batteries, capable of producing electricity when mixed with an acidic liquid. It is believed that these early batteries were used for electroplating gold in the Parthian Civilization.

In 1985, a research team led by Akira Yoshino built the first lithium-ion battery prototype, a rechargeable and more stable version of the lithium battery.

Consumer-grade nickel-metal hydride batteries were introduced in 1989, offering longer lifespans than nickel-cadmium batteries and being more environmentally friendly due to the absence of toxic cadmium.

Sony commercialized the lithium-ion battery in 1991, revolutionizing the portable electronic device industry.

Gilbert Newton Lewis initiated the research on lithium batteries, leading to the commercial availability of lithium batteries towards the end of the century. Key advancements by John Goodenough, Rachid Yazami, and Asahi Chemical were crucial in the development of lithium-ion batteries, with Sony popularizing them in 1991.

In 1997, Sony and Asahi Kasei released the lithium polymer battery, which stores electrolyte in a solid polymer composite and allows for flexible and compact design in electronic devices.

In 2006, the Dell Corporation recalled 4.1 million Sony batteries due to a manufacturing defect, which posed a risk of fires and explosions. This incident highlighted the challenges of storing a large amount of chemical energy in a small space, a common goal for battery developers.

The first battery that can bend was created, initially used for applications where a flexible battery was needed due to limited space. This breakthrough later paved the way for the development of 'bendable' products.

In 2019, John B. Goodenough, M. Stanley Whittingham, and Akira Yoshino were awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their significant contribution to the development of lithium-ion batteries.

Due to high costs and concerns about mineral extraction associated with lithium chemistry, there has been renewed interest in sodium-ion battery development, with early electric vehicle product launches expected in 2023.