Electricity Pioneer is a term used to describe three individuals who have made significant contributions to the field of electricity: Alessandro Volta, Nikola Tesla, and Luigi Galvani. Alessandro Volta was an Italian physicist who invented the first battery in 1800. Nikola Tesla was a Serbian-American inventor who developed alternating current (AC) electricity supply systems. Luigi Galvani was an Italian physician who discovered the electrical nature of nerve impulses. All three of these individuals are credited with pioneering the development of electricity.