who invented the lightning rod

Benjamin Franklin is widely credited with inventing the lightning rod in the mid‑18th century, around 1752, following his famous experiments with electricity and lightning.

Quick Scoop

• The lightning rod is generally attributed to Benjamin Franklin, who proposed and implemented the idea of a metal rod on top of buildings, connected to the ground, to safely carry lightning’s electrical charge away from structures.

• Franklin’s work in the 1740s–1750s, including the kite experiment in 1752, demonstrated that lightning is a form of electricity and inspired his practical protective device.

• Some historians note that the Czech priest Prokop Diviš erected a grounded lightning‑protection device in 1754, but Franklin’s design and promotion made the lightning rod widely known and adopted.

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