Execution of Topsy the elephant at Luna Park, Coney Island

On January 4, 1903, an elephant named Topsy was publicly executed by electrocution at Luna Park in Coney Island; the event was filmed by a motion-picture crew and reported widely in contemporary newspapers. Topsy's death was staged by the park's management after she had been deemed dangerous, and the spectacle has been cited in histories of early film and animal welfare. Historians note debate about the extent of Thomas Edison's personal involvement in the filming and publicity surrounding the electrocution.