06-15-2025 - On This Day in Insane History

On June 15, 1752, Benjamin Franklin—part scientist, part revolutionary, and full-time provocateur—conducted his legendary kite experiment during a thunderstorm near Philadelphia. Contrary to popular mythologizing, Franklin wasn't simply trying to prove lightning was electricity; he was methodically testing a hypothesis about electrical conductivity and atmospheric charge.

Risking electrocution (which was no small matter), Franklin attached a metal key to his silk-stringed kite and flew it during a thunderstorm. When lightning approached, electricity traveled down the wet hemp string, demonstrating that lightning was indeed an electrical phenomenon. This wasn't just a quirky scientific stunt—it was a groundbreaking moment that would revolutionize understanding of natural phenomena.

The experiment was so dangerous that other scientists who attempted to replicate it often died. French physicist Thomas-François Dalibard successfully repeated the experiment just weeks after Franklin, lending credibility to Franklin's observations. This singular moment not only advanced scientific knowledge but also set the stage for the invention of the lightning rod, potentially saving countless lives and structures from electrical destruction.

Franklin's audacious experiment epitomized the Enlightenment spirit: fearless curiosity, empirical observation, and a willingness to challenge conventional wisdom by literally reaching into the heart of a thunderstorm.