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Benjamin Franklin

January 17, 1706 - April 17, 1790

"If you would not be forgotten, as soon as you were dead and rotten, either write things worth reading, or do things worth writing." Benjamin Franklin

Probably most widely knows as one of the founding fathers and for his "Kite and Key", Benjamin Franklin was much much more. He was also known as a scientist, an inventor, a statesman, a printer, a philosopher, a musician, and an economist.

Born in Boston, Massachusetts, he left his family in 1723 (at age 17) to go to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The following year (1724) Benjamin moved to London to continue his training as a printer. Returning to Philadelphia in 1726, he opened his own printing office in Philadelphia. In 1729, he became sole owner and publisher of The Pennsylvania Gazette.

Ben's son, William quit as the Royal Governor of New Jersey ad fled to England. William did not support the American Revolution. Ben was very upset about this.

Poor Richards Almanac, or Yearly Calendar, was Ben's big printing success. What made it popular mostly was the witty sayings. It was published from 1732 - 1758. One such witty sayings: "Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy wealthy and wise."

Benjamin invented a lightening rod to protect buildings from lightening strikes. He attached a tall metal rod to the side of a house. The rod pointed upward and attached to a chain buried at least ten 10 feet into the ground. The lightening would send a charge down the chain into the ground. Once Ben introduced this, there was an immediate and significant decrease in house fires from lightening strikes

Ben became famous with his kite experiment. In 1752, he discovered that lightening and the air around it were charged with electrical currents. As a lightening storm approached, Ben and his son, William (age 22), went to a nearby shed and flew the kite from there. Ben touched a key hanging from the kite string with his knuckle and sparks flew..

Ben invented the Odometer, which counted the number a wheel turned to get the distance for mail routes. He was put in charge of the Colonial Postal Service and came up with many new ways of delivering the mail.

Ben became a printers' apprentice at the age of 12 to his older brother James. When Ben was 17 he ran away to Philadelphia. He later had his own print shop and published a newspaper, The Pennsylvania Gazette. By 1748, when Ben was 42 years old, he had made enough money to retire.

Benjamin invented the stove. At the time there were many fires when sparks flew out of fireplaces. The new stove produced more heat, used less wood and was safer.

Ben invented the bifocal glasses. As he grew older, he did not want to change glasses to see up close and far away.

Ben wanted to share his inventions with everyone. He did not expect to get patents to gain money from them. Some of his lesser-known ones include: Brighter streetlights: By letting air in the globe, the glass would not get as covered with soot and the light would shine brighter. A library chair with steps as well as a seat. An extention arm that had two fingers to claps books on high shelves.

When he was a young man, he made a list of 13 virtues he planned to live by for the rest of his life.

Ben married wife, Deborah, in 1730.When he started his print shop, she ran the store. She died in 1774 while he was away in France. She and Ben had one daughter named Sally. They also had a son Francis that died in 1736, at the age of 4.Their oldest son, William fled to England in his disagreement with the American Revolution.

Ben believed in exercise to keep in shape. He was a great swimmer at a time when most people did not enjoy the sport. At one time he used a kite to pull him across a pond.

Incredible, with all his accomplishments to himself, his community, nation and mankind, Ben only had a 2 year education. He taught himself by reading many books, asking many questions, and writing and thinking a lot.

Ben's was born in Boston. His father was a soap and candle maker and came to this country from England. Ben was the youngest of 10 sons. His parents had 17 children.

Ben signed the U.S. Constitution. At the age of 81, he was the oldest delegate to the convention, held in 1787. He also signed a treaty o peace with Great Brittain and an alliance with France.

Ben signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776. He served on the committee that helped write it.

Ben sailed to France in 1776 as a member of a committee to represent the Colonies. He was successful in convincing France to send troops and supplies to support the Colonies during their fight for independence. He returned home in 1785.

Ben was one of out country's first political cartoonists. In 1754, he ran an article in The Pennsylvania Gazette. The Title was "Join or Die" The article included a cartoon of a snake cut into pieces, each piece representing each state. It encouraged the Colonists to join together if they were to survive. The cartoon was based on an old story that a cut up snake would live again if you put it back together before the sun went down.

When you look at his accomplishments above, just to name a few, it is not hard to understand why Philadelphia is planning a year long celebration in honor of his 300th birthday.

The source for most of the above information came from the Mini Page by Betty Debnam.

Below is a brief timeline of some of the events Benjamin Franklin was involved in:

1730      Marries his wife, Deborah Read Rogers
1731      Birth of his son, William
1732      Birth of second son Francis
1732      Publishes Poor Richard: An Almanack, an annual publication published through 1758
1736      Death of his young son Francis; Benjamin also Founds the Union Fire Company in Philadelphia
1737      Appointed Postmaster of Philadelphia
1742      Proposes the idea for the University of Pennsylvania
1743      Birth of his daughter Sarah, also known as "Sally"
1745      Death of his father, Josiah Franklin
1747      organizes the first Militia; Begins his first writings of hiselectrical experiments
1748      Sells printing office, retires from the printing business
1751      His book Experiments and Observations on Electricity is
                published in London
1752      In June, performs famous kite experiment; Death of Ben's mother,
                Abiah Folger Franklin; Founds first American fire insurance company
1757-     Travels in London as representative the "Pennsylvania Assembly" until 1762
1764      Traveled back to London
1767      Traveled to France
1769      Elected president of the American Philosophical Society
1774      The Hutchinson Letters Affair damages
                Franklin's reputation in England; While in London, Ben receives word of
                his wife's death
1775      Returns to Philadelphia; Elected to Continental
                Congress; Submits Articles of Confederation of United Colonies
1776      Signs the Declaration of Independence; Presides at
                Pennsylvania Constitutional Convention;
                Sails to France as American Commissioner
1778      Negotiates and signs Treaty of Alliance with France
1779      Appointed Minister to France
1782      Negotiates, with John Adams and John Jay, the
                Treaty of Peace with Great Britain
1783      While in Paris, watches the Montgolfier brothers
              become the first men to fly in a balloon
1784      Negotiates treaties with Prussia and other European countries
1785      Returns to Philadelphia
1787      Elected president of the Pennsylvania Society for Promoting
              the Abolition of Slavery; Serves as delegate to the
              Constitutional Convention
1790      At age 84, Benjamin Franklin dies in Philadelphia on April 17