Gaston Planté

French physicist who invented the lead–acid battery in 1859. This type of battery was developed as the first rechargeable electric battery marketed for commercial use and it is widely used in automobiles.

In 1855, Planté discovered the first fossils of the prehistoric flightless bird Gastornis parisiensis (named after him) near Paris. This gigantic animal was a very close relative of the famous diatrymas of North America. At that time, Planté was at the start of his academic career, serving as a teaching assistant to A. E. Becquerel (father of Nobel laureate Henri Becquerel). This early discovery--although it created considerable excitement in 1855--was soon to be overshadowed by Planté's subsequent discoveries.

He died on 21 May 1889 at age 55 in the Bellevue part of Meudon, near Paris. In 1989 the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences established the Gaston Planté Medal, which is awarded every few years to scientists who have made significant contributions to the development of lead-acid battery technology.