Edison electrocuted an elephant in 1903 to smear his rival’s electricity

Evidence

On a cold January day in 1903, in front of a large audience at Coney Island’s Luna Park, Thomas Edison used alternating current to electrocute to death Topsy, a helpless elephant. His purpose? To draw the public’s attention to the deadliness of the type of electricity peddled by George Westinghouse, his competitor. Despite the novel awfulness, nothing significantly new had happened: a powerful man had used the age-old trick of grabbing the public’s attention to sell himself and his offerings. — Yanis Varoufakis, Technofeudalism, 151

Categorization

• CANDY: A memorable and grimly amusing historical anecdote perfect for light conversation.
• SHARE: Worth sending to someone interested in Edison-Westinghouse rivalry or the history of advertising/publicity stunts.