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Benjamin Franklin

1706-1790 CEScientist

American polymath, inventor, printer, diplomat, and Founding Father who fused Enlightenment curiosity with civic institution-building.

Biography

Overview

At seventeen, Benjamin Franklin ran away from his brother's print shop with nothing. By forty-two, he had made enough money from his printing business and Poor Richard's Almanack to retire and devote himself to science and public service. He proved that lightning was electricity by flying a kite in a thunderstorm, then invented the lightning rod to protect buildings.

He founded America's first lending library, first volunteer fire company, first public hospital, and first secular university. He invented bifocal glasses, the Franklin stove, and the flexible urinary catheter. At seventy, he helped draft the Declaration of Independence; at eighty-one, the Constitution. Along the way, he served as America's ambassador to France, charming Parisian salons while securing the alliance that won the Revolutionary War.

Franklin’s world, year by year

17061790

Dated facts

Account · checked against Wikipedia Read the source

  1. 1705Benjamin Franklin was born on Milk Street in Boston on January 17, 1706 (Old Style January 6, 1705).
  2. 1732As a Philadelphia printer he published The Pennsylvania Gazette and, from 1732, Poor Richard's Almanack under the pseudonym Richard Saunders.
  3. 1751He was first president of the Academy and College of Philadelphia, opened in 1751, and became deputy postmaster-general for the colonies in 1753.
  4. 1752He proposed a kite experiment to prove lightning is electricity, possibly flew his kite in Philadelphia on June 15, 1752, and invented the lightning rod.
  5. 1776In June 1776 he joined the Committee of Five that drafted the Declaration of Independence, which he signed.
  6. 1776Sent to France as U.S. commissioner on October 26, 1776, he secured a military alliance in 1778 and signed the 1783 Treaty of Paris.
  7. 1785He served as President of Pennsylvania from 1785 to 1788 and signed the U.S. Constitution in 1787.
  8. 1790He died of a pleuritic attack at his home in Philadelphia on April 17, 1790, aged 84.

Alive at the same time

Overlap Same years; not influence

Wars during this life

  • Fulani Jihad of Futa Jallon 1725–1751
  • Carnatic Wars 1746–1763
  • Nader Shah's Campaigns 1736–1747
  • War of Jenkins' Ear 1739–1748
  • War of the Austrian Succession 1740–1748
  • American Revolutionary War 1775–1783

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Sources

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Primary Sources

Further Reading

  • The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin - Benjamin Franklin
  • Benjamin Franklin: An American Life - Walter Isaacson

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about Benjamin Franklin.

Who was Benjamin Franklin?

At seventeen, Benjamin Franklin ran away from his brother's print shop with nothing. By forty-two, he had made enough money from his printing business and Poor Richard's Almanack to retire and devote himself to science and public service. He proved that lightning was electricity by flying a kite in a thunderstorm, then invented the lightning rod to protect buildings. He founded America's first lending library, first volunteer fire company, first public hospital, and first secular university. He invented bifocal glasses, the Franklin stove, and the flexible urinary catheter. At seventy, he helped draft the Declaration of Independence; at eighty-one, the Constitution. Along the way, he served as America's ambassador to France, charming Parisian salons while securing the alliance that won the Revolutionary War.

What was Benjamin Franklin best known for?

Franklin is best known as a scientist. American polymath, inventor, printer, diplomat, and Founding Father who fused Enlightenment curiosity with civic institution-building.

When did Benjamin Franklin live?

Franklin lived 1706-1790 CE, born in 1706 and died in 1790, during the early modern period.

Can I chat with an AI version of Benjamin Franklin?

Yes, free. Anyone can ask Franklin, and a first question needs no account. Every answer is a Simulation in character, grounded in Franklin’s real life, work and era. A good first question is: "I want to improve myself but don't know where to start, what's your system?"

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  • Practical Invention: Building simple, deployable devices or demos
  • Civic Strategy: Creating institutions and persuasive public messaging
  • Everyday Wisdom: Applying small improvements that compound over time

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