For years, since it departed from legend and lore, the kite has been thought of as a trivial toy. But history tells us that the kite is so much more than a toy. Nobody really knows who invented the kite. The hat was held down by a piece of string and rather than flying away, it lofted into the air while still tethered to the ground.
Nobody really knows.
A Brief history of kites Kites have been around for more than two thousand years. In that time they have been used for signaling, warfare, transportation, fishing, meteorology, warfare, aerial photography, rescue equipment and of course for recreation. Many historians believe the first kites originated in China, where historically on the ninth day of the ninth month was celebrated as kite day although another theory suggests that the European pennon used by dignitaries was attached to a line making it the first kite. Ben Franklin's Kite Probably the most famous experiment to do with lightning is that of Benjamin Franklin and his famous kite. What Franklin was investigating was whether or not lightning was an electric phenomenon.