What is old sparky?

"Old Sparky" is a nickname that has been used to refer to the electric chair, a method of execution that was commonly used in the United States in the early 20th century. The first electric chair was used in 1890 in New York and came to be known as "Old Sparky" due to the sparks and smoke that would often be produced during the electrocution process.

The electric chair was used as a method of execution in numerous states throughout the 20th century, with "Old Sparky" being the nickname given to the chair in many of these states. The chair was eventually phased out in favor of other methods of execution, such as lethal injection, but some states still have the electric chair as a legal method of execution.

The use of the electric chair as a method of execution has been controversial, with critics arguing that it is a cruel and inhumane form of punishment. Despite this, "Old Sparky" remains a symbol of the history of capital punishment in the United States.