Joe's Daily U.S. History Lesson -- June 10

JUNE 10 -- 1752 Ben Franklin flies a kite; 1692 Bridgette Bishop, Salem Witch hunt, is hanged; 1963 JFK has a busy day; National Iced Tea Day

JUNE 10 1752 – Ben Franklin flies a kite. …So this actually either happened on June 10th according to History.com, or June 15th according to a Wikipedia link to Steve Johnson’s The Invention of Air. In either case, So that’s how he discovered electricity. Now kids, don’t try this at home. Franklin was insulated that night when he attached a key onto his kite, thus creating the conductor to an electrical path up to the sky. After his discovery, those who tried to copy it made the mistake of not insulating themselves and got electrocuted.

So Franklin not only discover the positive and negative components of electricity, he discovered the grounding as well. Ben Franklin conveniently invented the lightening rod! Great way to protect a building from burning down due to an electrical fire.

This also led to the mighty Ben Franklin’s discovery of the battery. Franklin also was very perceptive in matters of wave theory of light, meteorology, traction kiting, concept of cooling and refrigeration, temperature’s effect on electrical conductivity, and so much more.

1692 – Bridgette Bishop is hanged, …becoming the first of many during the Salem Witch hunts.

In January 1692, a daughter and a niece of Reverend Samuel Perris of Salem Village in Massachusetts became ill and began convulsing. They were taken to Dr. William Griggs, who diagnosed the young ladies of bewitchment. In those days, the town was very Puritan and the devil was having a bad affect on some of the townspeople, who were identified by the sick young girls.

Soon the town had a hearing and 150 adult ladies and some men as well as a four year old child, were sent to prison for committing witchcraft. On June 10, Bridgette was hanged, and the next few day’s thirteen women and five men went to the gallows to also be hanged.

Finally Gov. William Phipps put an end to the trials.

The Superior Court of Judicature, formed to replace the "witchcraft" court, did not allow spectral evidence. This belief in the power of the accused to use their invisible shapes or specters to torture their victims was tried by the Court of Oyer and Terminer, which heard and decided their fates.

The new court released those awaiting trial and pardoned those awaiting execution. In effect, the Salem witch trials were over, until 1950 when Joseph MacArthur began his own witch-hunt for communists in the federal government as well as Hollywood. Happy early Halloween, everyone.

1963 – JFK puts his foot down. …First on his schedule for June 10th was to cease atmospheric testing of nuclear missiles. This was probably a great idea considering the all-out nuclear war which would’ve taken out every living thing on earth except the cockroaches that almost happened 8 months prior during the Cuban Missile Crisis against the Soviet Union. On this day he committed to take a step towards peace with the USSR by banning nuclear testing except for underground testing. Later that day, John Kennedy also signed HR6060, otherwise known as the EPA, or the equal pay act, to allow women to get substantial raises in the workforce. After that, Kennedy warned Alabama Governor George Wallace not to prevent black students from registering at the University of Alabama. Like a boss!

2016 – Today is National Sweet Iced Tea Day. Class, for extra credit, head to Summerville South Carolina and enjoy the Champagne of the South! On this day in 2016, Summerville poured the largest glass of iced tea in the history of ever!  2,524 gallons! The straw alone was impressive. It took 210 pounds of loose leaf tea, 1700 pounds of sugar, around 1,000 pounds of ice, a day’s worth of that South Carolina sunshine, and sweet delicious and refreshing history was made on this day in 2016.

1933 – Jon Dillinger ...robs his very first bank, taking about 10 and a half large from a bank in New Carlisle, Ohio.