Executed Today, January 4th, 1903Topsy the ElephantTopsy was a circus elephant who, due to bad handl
Executed Today, January 4th, 1903Topsy the ElephantTopsy was a circus elephant who, due to bad handlers, tended make trouble, at one point even killing a man. On January 4th, 1903 Topsy was rigged with electric wires and executed by electrocution. The execution was a publicity stunt organized by Thomas Edison as part of the famous “war of the currents”. By electrocuting Topsy, Edison was trying to demonstrate that the alternating current used by his competitor, George Westinghouse, was much more dangerous than the direct current offered by the Edison Company. Even though alternating current is no more dangerous than direct current, it was Edison’s business strategy to convince the public that his product was safer. -- source link
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