From the Smithsonian magazine archives, some of our favorite reader questions about our nation's founding upon its 250th birthday. Q: Did Benjamin Franklin really fly a kite in a thunderstorm?

Most Americans are familiar with the story of Benjamin Franklin and his famous 18th-century experiment in which he attached a metal key to a kite during a thunderstorm to see if the lightning would ...

On this day in history, June 10, 1752, Benjamin Franklin reportedly flew a kite during a thunderstorm, with the goal of collecting ambient electrical charge in a Leyden jar — a container that could ...

PHILADELPHIA -- Legend has it that 250 years ago this month, Benjamin Franklin sailed a kite and a key into a stormy Philadelphia sky and made a shocking discovery: Lightning is a form of electricity.

PHILADELPHIA -- Legend has it that 250 years ago this month, Benjamin Franklin sailed a kite and a key into a stormy Philadelphia sky and made a shocking discovery: Lightning was a form of electricity ...

Illustrations of scientific experiments play a fundamental role in both science education and the dissemination of scientific knowledge to the general public. Confirming the adage that “a picture is ...

This week's question was asked by Trinity Olivia Jones, grade 3 at Miller Elementary School. Teacher: Amy Stoffregen. QUESTION: Why did Benjamin Franklin fly a kite in the rain when there was thunder ...