Posted on 04/17/2005 10:47:30 AM PDT by kellynla
On April 17, 1790, American statesman, printer, scientist, and writer Benjamin Franklin dies in Philadelphia at age 84.
Born in Boston in 1706, Franklin became at 12 years old an apprentice to his half brother James, a printer and publisher. He learned the printing trade and in 1723 went to Philadelphia to work after a dispute with his brother. After a sojourn in London, he started a printing and publishing press with a friend in 1728. In 1729, the company won a contract to publish Pennsylvania's paper currency and also began publishing the Pennsylvania Gazette, which was regarded as one of the better colonial newspapers. From 1732 to 1757, he wrote and published Poor Richard's Almanack, an instructive and humorous periodical in which Franklin coined such practical American proverbs as "God helps those who help themselves" and "Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise."
As his own wealth and prestige grew, Franklin took on greater civic responsibilities in Philadelphia and helped establish the city's first circulating library, police force, volunteer fire company, and an academy that became the University of Pennsylvania. From 1737 to 1753, he was postmaster of Philadelphia and during this time also served as a clerk of the Pennsylvania legislature. In 1753, he became deputy postmaster general, in charge of mail in all the northern colonies.
Deeply interesting in science and technology, he invented the Franklin stove, which is still manufactured today, and bifocal eyeglasses, among other practical inventions. In 1748, he turned his printing business over to his partner so he would have more time for his experiments. The phenomenon of electricity fascinated him, and in a dramatic experiment he flew a kite in a thunderstorm to prove that lightning is an electrical discharge. He later invented the lightning-rod.
(Excerpt) Read more at historychannel.com ...
Breaking news! ;)
The father of all zots?
RIP Uncle Ben.
Some informative links about Benjamin Franklin
http://www.english.udel.edu/lemay/franklin/
http://sln.fi.edu/franklin/rotten.html
lhttp://sln.fi.edu/franklin/inventor/inventor.html
And here's another excellent link
http://www.ushistory.org/franklin/
And his autobiography
http://earlyamerica.com/lives/franklin/
by the way some radio stations across the US and Canada have broadened their music mix a bit ("We play anything"--well, not quite...) and named themselves after first names: Jack, Frank,
Alice, Mike (in Boston), Bob...and guess what Philly has?
Yup... Ben. Mr Franklin (born in Beantown, moved to
the City That loves You back) has his own station kinda.
http://www.mix957online.com/
This man had inspired ideas! One of my favorites!
Do you have any researched citation to back that up?
I know all kinds of Ben Franklin myths abound, and nobody knows who the mother of his son is. But I've never heard of him cavorting with prostitutes, and I consider a statement like that about a Founding Father to be a smear.
I didn't even know he was sick.
Lighten up Captain Yossarian! We know he was a notorious womanizer, and most likely didn't NEED to pay for sex. Cavoriting with Prostis is one of many rumors I have heard. I'd have to say that the oddest myth I ever heard about Franklin was that he was a "nauturalist."
He was a great lover of America's early craft brews.
And even though it hasn't been easy, we still have our Republic after more than 200 years.
Thanks, Benjamin.
Because he was the one Founder who was smart enough not to get elected president -- and he knew it.
Franklin said that one of the reasons he was stranded in London as a young man was that he spent too much of his money on "women of low station."
But maybe he was just taking them out on dates.
Our Constitution is in actual operation; everything appears to promise that it will last; but in this world nothing is certain but death and taxes.
Letter to Jean-Baptiste Leroy, November 13, 1789
Google search: “Death and taxes” : 138,000 entries.
Not becoming President at age 84 was indeed a wise move.
I think Ben Franklin and the other founders will be pleased that we are the worlds superpower...
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