Benjamin Franklin: America's Renaissance Man

Benjamin Franklin was born on January 17, 1706, in Boston, Massachusetts—the fifteenth of seventeen children. His family was poor, and he was able to attend school for only two years. At the age of twelve, he became an apprentice printer for his older brother. He educated himself by reading every book he could find, and by the time he was a young man, he was one of the best-read people in the colonies.

Franklin moved to Philadelphia as a teenager and eventually established his own printing business. He founded the Pennsylvania Gazette newspaper, which became very successful, and published 'Poor Richard's Almanac' from 1732 to 1758. The almanac was full of practical wisdom and witty sayings, many of which are still quoted today, such as 'Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.'

Franklin was passionately curious about the natural world. His most famous experiment—flying a kite with a metal key in a thunderstorm—proved that lightning was electrical. He invented the lightning rod to protect buildings and ships from lightning strikes. He also invented bifocal glasses, the Franklin stove, and the flexible urinary catheter, among many other practical devices. He never patented his inventions because he wanted everyone to benefit from them.

Franklin was also a devoted public servant. He founded Philadelphia's first public library, first fire company, and helped establish what is now the University of Pennsylvania. As a colonial representative in London, he tried to prevent war between Britain and the American colonies. When war became inevitable, he served as the American diplomat to France, persuading the French to ally with America—a contribution that was essential to winning the Revolution.

At the age of eighty-one, Franklin was the oldest delegate to sign the United States Constitution. He is the only founding father to have signed all four of the key documents of the United States: the Declaration of Independence, the Treaty of Alliance with France, the Treaty of Paris, and the Constitution. Franklin died on April 17, 1790. His life spanning from the birth of the colonies to the birth of the nation itself makes him one of the most remarkable Americans who ever lived.

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