Benjamin Franklin was a multi-talented Founding Father of the US, born in Boston in 1706. He was an inventor, philosopher, writer, statesman, economist, and musician. He worked as a printer and created the alias Silence Dogood to write for his brother’s newspaper. He proved that lightning was electricity and invented the lightning rod. Franklin secured military and financial assistance from France for the US’s independence. He is known for his popular adages and died in 1790 at the age of 84.
Benjamin Franklin was a man of many talents; an accomplished inventor, philosopher, writer, statesman, economist and musician. His eclectic and active life has earned him the titles of both a model American citizen and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. He was born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1706, although he considers Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to be his hometown. He died in 1790 at the age of 84 and is buried in Philadelphia.
At the young age of 12, Benjamin Franklin became an apprentice to his older brother James, who was a printer and ran a newspaper in Boston. The newspaper titled The New England Courant, was the first of its kind in Boston. At age 15, Franklin was desperate to write for the paper. Knowing his brother wouldn’t let him do it, he created the alias Silence Dogood for himself; a widow who criticized society, especially the treatment of women, through letters slipped under the door at night. Franklin’s writings became extremely popular and fueled intense brother jealousy of him when he revealed that he was the author.
Among his many achievements, Franklin is renowned for his scientific work with electricity. He was the first to prove that lightning was actually electricity. He did this by developing his famous kite experiment which he intended to extract electricity from a developing storm. Although he designed the experiment, he wasn’t the first person to do it. From his work in electricity, he invented the lightning rod, designed to protect tall structures from being struck and damaged during electrical storms.
Benjamin Franklin is one of the founding fathers of the United States. He was instrumental in securing military and financial assistance from France, which was crucial to the young nation’s independence from British rule. His wisdom lives on in many popular adages that are spoken today. He wrote “If you don’t want to be forgotten as soon as you’re dead and rotten, either write something worth reading or do something worth writing,” which he undoubtedly made for himself. Some of the other popular quotes from him include:
“Going to bed early and getting up early makes a healthy man rich and wise.”
“He is badly dressed who is naked of virtue”.
“But in this world nothing can be said for certain, except death and taxes.”
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