From the archives: Electricity

Electric cars of the 19th century, an unjustly electrocuted elephant, the electrified corpse of George Forster, and the river mouth with year-round lightning.

Catatumbo lightning
Fernando Flores from Caracas, Venezuela [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

The mouth of the Catatumbo River sees lightning up to 160 nights of the year.


La Jamais Contente
La Jamais Contente [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Until 1902 every fastest car in the world was electric.


Topsy
St. Paul Globe. [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Topsy the elephant was electrocuted as a publicity stunt, and Edison had nothing to do with it.


Andrew Shiva / Wikipedia, via Wikimedia Commons

Galvani’s nephew electrocuted a murderer’s corpse and made it dance.

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