Thomas Edison publicly electrocuted
dogs and cats in order to demonstrate to people how AC electricity
was more dangerous than DC. He even once electrocuted an elephant in
order to kill it. The elephant had previously trampled and killed a
few people and a method was needed to put her to death, so Edison
agreed to do it using AC electricity as a publicity stunt.
Edison is also credited with inventing the electric chair to be used
on those sentenced to death, although, it was invented by employees
of Edison, Harold Brown and Arthur Kennelly.
Thomas Edison held 1093 patents in the United States. One of his
sons, Theodore Edison, who died in 1992 held 80 patents in his
lifetime.