Benjamin Franklin We all know him as the man who is on the five dollar bill and the man who invented electricity. However, he has done much more than most people realize. This entrepreneur, inventor, writer and scientist changed the world as we know it with his knowledge and discoveries.
Benjamin Franklin was born on January 17, 1706 on Milk Street in Boston to Josiah and Abiah Franklin. He was the youngest of ten children. Franklin’s education started when he attended Latin School at the age of seven. From the ages of 8-10 years old, Franklin attended Writing/Arithmetic School. Although Franklin excelled at what he was learning, his father had him become an apprentice to James, his older brother, who was a printer. Throughout Franklin’s life, he accomplished myriad things. One of these accomplishments included the Silence Dogood Letters. When his brother wouldn’t let 12-year old Ben write anything in the newspaper, he decided to write under the pseudonym of Mrs. Silence Dogood so he could. Without knowing these letters were written by Franklin, James published them in the paper. However, when Ben revealed himself as the true author, James became furious and Franklin left home for Philadelphia.
Other accomplishments included his “Junto.” This was a study group for young men in Philadelphia who needed self-improvement. In this same city, he created his own printing press shops and made circulating libraries for the citizens so he could share his love of reading. Beginning in 1732, Franklin published Poor Richard’s Almanac. This almanac included humor, information, wisdom, and other fun facts. He also improved the street lighting and deepened the harbor. He established fire brigades in Philadelphia to prevent fire and keep his beloved city safe. One of his greatest accomplishments in life was being named the Ambassador of both France and England. However, an even greater accomplishment was being the only man to sign the Declaration of Independence, The Treaty of Paris, and to be a delegate that signed the United States Constitution. Benjamin Franklin was a very creative man with determination. He made a prodigious amount of inventions. Most of these were created in his older years. Earlier on in his life, Franklin experimented and toyed around with electricity. This led him to create the lightning rod. Ben knew that lightning was attracted to metal, so this rod would go on the tops of houses and lead lightning that struck straight to the ground. Based on this, Franklin would later create the power source we have today. To make reading better for himself, he created bifocals, and a rocking chair that allowed wind to blow from a fan every time you rock. He created flippers for his love of swimming. He also created the odometer which measures the distance you’ve traveled. Franklin invented his own version of a stove, a chair that turns into a step lad der, and an automatic