Lightning often strikes tall building however many buildings have lightning rods to protect them from lightning. When lightning strikes, the electricity goes safely down the metal rod to the ground. Benjamin franklin, the american statesman, invented the lightning rod in 1760. That is why buildings like the empire state building in new york city are safe. Lightning may hit this building as many as twelve times in twenty minutes and as often as 500 times a year. Airplanes are not as easy to protect as buildings, and accidents do happen. In 1963, a boeing 707 jet was hit by lightning and crashed. Eighty-one people died.