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1752

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Jun

10

Inventions & Science

Benjamin Franklin flies kite during thunderstorm

In the summer of 1752—possibly on the 10th of June—Benjamin Franklin flies a kite during a thunderstorm to collect ambient electrical charge in a Leyden jar, enabling him to demonstrate the connection between lightning and electricity. (Scholars debate the June 10 date, but agree it likely happened sometime in June of that year.) It is one of his most famous—and mythologized—experiments.

In This Day in History video clip: On this day in 1752, Benjamin Franklin flies a kite during a thunderstorm and collects a charge in a Leyden jar when the kite is struck by lightning, enabling him to demonstrate the electrical nature of lightning. Franklin became interested in electricity in the mid-1740s, a time when much was still unknown on the topic, and spent almost a decade conducting electrical experiments. He coined a number of terms used today, including battery, conductor, and electrician. He also invented the lightning rod, used to protect buildings and ships.

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