Thomas Edison not only invented the light bulb and the phonograph; he also gave us the electric chair. In a desperate attempt to demonstrate that George Westinghouse's alternating current -- which could be stepped up to a higher voltage for more efficient transmission over long distances -- was dangerous, Edison toured the United States in 1890, using his rival's AC power to electrocute cats, dogs, horses, and elephants (a process which Edison called "Westinghousing").
Ironically, Edison's attempt to "Westinghouse" a New York felon named William Kemmler with "a current of several thousand horsepower" dramatically backfired. After eight minutes, Kemmler started smoking and a stronger burst was needed to finish him off.
[DC current is in fact more dangerous and this, fortunately, was one battle which Edison lost.]
[A century later, the chair was still rather unpredictable: In July, 1999, when Allen Lee Davis became the first person executed in Florida's new 2,300-volt electric chair, blood gushed from his nose. And two years earlier, foot-long flames were seen shooting from Pedro Medina's head!]
Sources
Maxim
