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Struck by lightning
Please add Geni profiles for those who died as a result of a lightning strike.
about lightning
From Wikipedia:
A lightning strike (or L~ stroke) is an electric discharge between the atmosphere and an earth-bound object. They mostly originate in the thundercloud and terminate on the ground, called cloud to ground (CG) lightning. A less common type of strike, called ground to cloud (GC), is upward propagating lightning initiated from a tall grounded object and reaches into the clouds. About 25% of all lightning events worldwide are strikes between the atmosphere and earth-bound objects. The bulk of lightning events are intracloud (IC) or cloud to cloud (CC), where discharges only occur high in the atmosphere.
A single lightning event is a "flash", which is a complex, multi-stage process, some parts of which are not fully understood. Most ground to cloud flashes only "strike" one physical location, referred to as a "termination". The primary conducting channel, the bright coursing light that may be seen and is called a "strike", is only about one inch in diameter, but because of its extreme brilliance, it often looks much larger to the human eye and in photographs. Lightning discharges are typically miles long, but certain types of horizontal discharges can be upwards of tens of miles in length. The entire flash lasts only a fraction of a second. Most of the early formative and propagation stages are much dimmer and not visible to the human eye.
fatalities
An estimated 24,000 people are killed by lightning strikes around the world each year and about 240,000 are injured. According to the NOAA, over the last 20 years, the United States averaged 51 annual lightning strike fatalities, placing it in the second position, just behind floods, for weather killers.
notables
from Famous People Who Were Struck by Lightning
- 1. James Otis, Jr.. Died at 58 (1725-1783). James Otis, Jr. was a lawyer in colonial Massachusetts and the creator of the famous phrase "taxation without representation is tyranny" which helped to lead to the American Revolution.
- 2. Carus. Died at 53 (230-283) Carus was the Roman emperor from 282 to 283. He died during a storm, and according to reports it was either murder, illness, or a bolt of lightning that caused it.
- 3. Hernán Gaviria Died at 33 (1969-2002) Hernán Gaviria was a Colombian footballer who played as a central midfielder. On October 24, 2002, Gavira was practicing with a fellow teammate and was struck by lightning and killed instantly.
- 4. John White. Died at 27 (1937-1964) John White was a Scottish footballer who played midfielder for Tottenham Hotspur. On July 21, 1964 when he was only 27, he hid under a tree during a lightning storm at a golf course.
- 5. Geremi González. Died at 33 (1975-2008) Geremi González was a Major League baseball player who played for the Cubs, the Devil Rays, the Red Sox, and the Mets, over the course of his nine year career. On May 25, 2008 he was struck by lightning.
- 6. Leontius Pilatus was a Calabrian scholar and one of the earliest promoters of Greek studies in Western Europe. He was responsible for translating The Illiad, The Odyssey and other famous works.
- 7. Samuel B. Avis Died at 52 (1872-1924) Samuel B. Avis was an American politician who represented West Virginia in the House of Representatives.
- 8. Becky Godwin. Died at 14 (1954-1968) Becky Godwin was the adopted daughter of former Governor of Virginia Miles Godwin Jr.. She died in a freak accident on a perfectly clear summer day on the beach. While exiting the water onto the sand.
- 9. Apollodorus was an ancient Macedonian runner who won in the Olympics and then was struck by lightning on his walk home, killing him.
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