Kite History

History of Kites Kites made their appearance over three thousand years ago, in China. Materials for making kites were found there: Bamboo for the frame and silk for the sail and bridle. It had a mythical and religious dimension. Later it was experimented as a science instrument for various researches. From China, the kite was reproduced throughout Asia, then later, in Europe, and now, in the modern age, in America, Australia and other countries. In 1752, Benjamin Franklin proved that there was electricity in storm clouds. He flew a kite with a brass key tied to the end of his line during a thunderstorm. He proved his theory true when the stormy atmosphere struck the kite line and traveled down to the key where it caused a spark of electricity. This was a very dangerous experiment because if Benjamin Franklin had been wet he could have been badly hurt! In 1903 the Wright Brothers were experimenting with large box kites. These experiments led to the first airplane at Kitty Hawk. Box kites were also helpful in predicting the weather. From 1898 to 1993 kite stations flew box kites equipped with weather- measuring devices. Kites & Science American diplomat and scientist Benjamin Franklin experimented with kites to investigate atmospheric electricity, and kite studies were also made by the American physicist and inventor Alexander Graham Bell. Beginning in the 1890's and continuing for about 40 years, box kites, consisting of two or more connected open-ended boxes, were used for sending meteorologic instruments aloft to measure wind velocity, temperature, barometric pressure, and humidity.