Benjamin Franklin spoke English, French, Italian, Latin and Spanish.
John Adams spoke English, French and Latin.
James Madison spoke English, Greek, Latin and Hebrew.
Thomas Jefferson spoke English, French, Italian, Latin. Jefferson could also read Greek and Spanish.
Lightning Strikes!
16 million lightning storms a year
1 bolt's strike power = 1 ton of TNT
50,000 degrees Fahrenheit
5 x hotter than the sun
60 years after the Salem Witch Trials when Franklin was establishing himself clearly as the first 'storm chaser', many thought the lethal flash was the wrath of God raining down flaming bolts of rage to earth.
lightning
: the occurance of a natural electrical discharge of very short duration and high voltage between a cloud and the ground or within a cloud, accompanied by a bright flash and typically also thunder; a flash of light produced by a discharge of atmospheric electricity. The flash heats the air and causes thunder.
electricity:
a form of energy resulting from the existence of charged particles (such as electrons or protons), either statically as an accumulation of charge or dynamically as current; a state or feeling of thrilling excitement.
"storm chaser"
America's first storm chaser, Ben Franklin, nearly was killed twice by his curious exploration of lighting. He was lucky to not have received a full charge of electricity. The firs time he was trying to cure a paralyzed man. The second time Ben almost got incinerated, he was trying to kill a turkey. Franklin was also a volunteer fireman in Philly.
