Benjamin Franklin
A self-made genius who shaped America's founding with a printing press, a kite in a storm, and unmatched diplomatic wit.
1706–1790 (age 84)·American Founding Father and polymath·Birthday: January 17
Biography
Benjamin Franklin was a man who built himself from a teenage printer's apprentice into a transatlantic celebrity. His life reads like a series of daring experiments, both scientific and social. He published 'Poor Richard's Almanack,' a mix of practical advice and sharp wit that made him wealthy and widely read. His famous, and famously dangerous, kite experiment demonstrated the electrical nature of lightning, leading to the practical invention of the lightning rod. In middle age, he turned from business to politics and diplomacy, becoming a crucial voice for colonial unity. His charm and reputation were instrumental in securing French support for the American Revolution. Franklin returned to help draft the U.S. Constitution, embodying the Enlightenment ideal of a citizen engaged in every facet of public life.
#1 When Benjamin Was Born
The biggest hits of 1706
Benjamin's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1706Born
1711Started school
1719Became a teenager
1722Could drive
1724Could vote
1727Turned 21
1736Turned 30
1746Turned 40
1756Turned 50
1766Turned 60
1776Turned 70
1786Turned 80
1790Died at 84
Key Achievements
- Proved lightning was electrical through his kite experiment and invented the lightning rod.
- Served as a crucial diplomat to France, securing vital military and financial aid for the American Revolution.
- Helped draft and signed the Declaration of Independence, the Treaty of Alliance with France, and the U.S. Constitution.
- Founded the first public lending library in America and the first volunteer fire department in Philadelphia.
- Published the widely influential 'Poor Richard's Almanack' for over 25 years.
Did You Know?
He created his own phonetic alphabet and dropped six letters he deemed redundant.
Franklin was an avid swimmer and even wrote a treatise on the subject; he is in the International Swimming Hall of Fame.
He taught himself to speak French, Italian, Spanish, and Latin.
He invented the glass armonica, a musical instrument for which Mozart and Beethoven composed music.
He only had two years of formal schooling.
“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.”
