Born January 17, 1706
Benjamin Franklin was born in Boston, the fifteenth of seventeen children. With only two years of formal schooling, he became a printer, writer, inventor, scientist, diplomat, and founding father. Franklin embodied the American ideal of self-made success.
Printer and Publisher
At age 12, Franklin apprenticed as a printer. By 22, he owned the Pennsylvania Gazette. Poor Richard’s Almanack, published under his pseudonym Richard Saunders, brought him fame and fortune with its practical wisdom: ‘Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.’
Scientific Breakthroughs
Franklin’s kite experiment proved lightning was electricity, leading to the lightning rod. He invented bifocals, the Franklin stove, the glass armonica, and the urinary catheter. His discoveries in electricity earned him international scientific recognition and membership in London’s Royal Society.
Revolutionary Diplomat
Franklin secured French support during the American Revolution, convincing Louis XVI to send troops, ships, and money. His diplomacy was crucial to American victory. He helped draft the Declaration of Independence and was the only founding father to sign all four major documents of the founding.
A Complex Legacy
Franklin owned slaves early in life but became an abolitionist, serving as president of the Pennsylvania Abolition Society. On his 319th birthday, we remember a man who never stopped learning, questioning, and improving the world around him.
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