1808-1835

French engineer and instrument maker who created the first electrical generator. In 1832, following Hans Christian Oersted's discoveries, Pixii constructed a hand-cranked machine that rotated a magnet past a bar of iron wrapped with wire. This produced alternating current, which he converted to direct current. Although superseded by more efficient devices using electromagnets, Pixii's device was the first bona fide electrical generator constructed, and it paved the way for subsequent devices.