jan 1, 1977 - Stan Whittingham, working at ExxonMobil, developed first recharchable lithium-based battery

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In 1977, Stan Whittingham, a young British scientist working at an Exxon plant in Linden, New Jersey, built an anode that used aluminium to form the walls and floors of the apartment block, and lithium as the active material. When he charged his battery, lithium ions moved from the cathode to the anode, settling into empty spaces between the aluminium atoms. When discharged, they moved the other way, back through the electrolyte to spaces on the cathode side.

He had created the world’s first rechargeable lithium battery - a coin-sized cell that worked well enough to power a solar watch. But when he tried to increase the voltage – to move more ions in and out – or attempted to make bigger cells, they kept igniting. Eventually, the local fire department threatened to start charging for visits.

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