Lightning struck the Capitol dome in Washington, DC, on New Year’s Eve, leaving observers stunned — and leading social media users to wonder if the bolt heralded a new era of change.
Lightning also struck the Washington Monument on the other end of the Mall.
It was not immediately clear whether either structure had sustained damage. The Capitol has been equipped with a lightning rod since the 19th century, which directs the energy of lightning strikes into the ground to prevent damage.
A version of the lightning rod was invented by Benjamin Franklin, one of America’s Founding Fathers. Franklin’s experiments with lightning and electricity were groundbreaking in the mid-18th century, and remain legendary to this day. They represented only one part of Franklin’s prolific endeavors in a wide variety of fields.
The…
