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In June 1752, Benjamin Franklin and his son William flew a silk kite in Philadelphia during a rainstorm. The kite, about 150 feet in the air, was connected by a damp string with a small metal key tied near Franklin’s hand. Franklin brought his knuckle close to the key without touching it, and a tiny static spark jumped the gap with a faint crackle. This confirmed his suspicion that lightning and electricity were the same. Later that evening, Franklin sat at his table by candlelight and wrote in his notebook about what he had observed, noting the spark at the key. By the following year, 1753, accounts of his experiment spread quickly through London and Philadelphia print shops. Printers pulled fresh pages from wooden presses while discussing Franklin’s kite, remarking that people everywhere would want to read about the spark that proved lightning was electricity.