When did benjamin franklin discover electricity?

Little did Franklin know that his original letter to Collinson, once translated to French, was causing quite a stir in Paris. To test Franklin’s hypothesis, naturalist Thomas-Francois Dalibard used a large metal pole to conduct electricity from lightning on May 10, 1752. read more

In fact, electricity did not begin when Benjamin Franklin flew his kite during a thunderstorm or when light bulbs were installed in houses all around the world. "His observations," says Dr. Stuber, "he communicated, in a series of letters, to his friend Collinson, the first of which is dated March 28, 1747. read more

Franklin then touched the key and got zapped, thus proving the existence of electricity. To test the stunt, MythBusters Kari Byron, Grant Imahara and Tory Belleci reanimated Ben Franklin in the form of a ballistics gel dummy with a resistor nested in his torso to match a human's natural electrical resistance. read more