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Oct 20, 2023 · Learn about the inventions of Benjamin Franklin, the 18th-century statesman, printer, inventor and author. From urinary catheters to bifocals, from swim fins to lightning rods, discover how he made a difference in various fields of science and technology.
- What did Benjamin Franklin invent?Benjamin Franklin invented a number of things, including the odometer, glass armonica, the long arm and bifocal eyeglasses.
- What is Benjamin Franklin most famous for?Apart from his inventions, Benjamin Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States and helped draft the Declaration of Independence...
- How did Benjamin Franklin discover electricity?In 1752, Ben Franklin conducted his famous lightning rod experiment in which he showed that lightning was electricity. He attached a key to the lin...
- Why was the lightning rod so important?Franklin's electrical experiments discovered that a sharp rather than a smooth point was more capable of discharging quietly and at a far greater d...
Learn about the inventions of Benjamin Franklin, a printer, a scientist, and a Founding Father. He created the lightning rod, bifocals, swim fins, the Franklin stove, the urinary catheter, and the armonica.
- Benjamin Franklin’s Early Years
- Benjamin Franklin: Printer and Publisher
- Benjamin Franklin and Philadelphia
- Benjamin Franklin's Inventions
- Benjamin Franklin and The American Revolution
- Benjamin Franklin’s Later Years
Benjamin Franklin was born on January 17, 1706, in colonial Boston. His father, Josiah Franklin (1657-1745), a native of England, was a candle and soap maker who married twice and had 17 children. Franklin’s mother was Abiah Folger (1667-1752) of Nantucket, Massachusetts, Josiah’s second wife. Franklin was the eighth of Abiah and Josiah’s 10 offspr...
Benjamin Franklin returned to Philadelphia in 1726, and two years later opened a printing shop. The business became highly successful producing a range of materials, including government pamphlets, books and currency. In 1729, Franklin became the owner and publisher of a colonial newspaper, the Pennsylvania Gazette, which proved popular—and to whic...
As Franklin’s printing business prospered, he became increasingly involved in civic affairs. Starting in the 1730s, he helped establish a number of community organizations in Philadelphia, including a lending library (it was founded in 1731, a time when books weren’t widely available in the colonies, and remained the largest U.S. public library unt...
In 1748, Franklin, then 42 years old, had expanded his printing business throughout the colonies and become successful enough to stop working. Retirement allowed him to concentrate on public service and also pursue more fully his longtime interest in science. In the 1740s, he conducted experiments that contributed to the understanding of electricit...
In 1754, at a meeting of colonial representatives in Albany, New York, Franklin proposed a plan for uniting the colonies under a national congress. Although his Albany Plan was rejected, it helped lay the groundwork for the Articles of Confederation, which became the first constitution of the United States when ratified in 1781. In 1757, Franklin t...
In 1785, Franklin left France and returned once again to Philadelphia. In 1787, he was a Pennsylvania delegate to the Constitutional Convention. (The 81-year-old Franklin was the convention’s oldest delegate.) At the end of the convention, in September 1787, he urged his fellow delegates to support the heavily debated new document. The U.S. Constit...
- Missy Sullivan
- 2 min
His numerous important inventions include the lightning rod, bifocals, and the Franklin stove. [7] . He founded many civic organizations, including the Library Company, Philadelphia 's first fire department, [8] and the University of Pennsylvania. [9] .
Learn about the stories behind Franklin's remarkable inventions, such as the lightning rod, bifocal glasses, and the Franklin stove. Discover how his experiments with electricity, eyewear, and transportation shaped the world we live in today.
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Dec 10, 2020 · Learn about the life and inventions of Benjamin Franklin, a Founding Father, printer, publisher, scientist and diplomat. Discover his achievements in electricity, mathematics, mapmaking, bifocal glasses and more.
Dec 16, 2016 · A dad's photo album of his family trip to Philadelphia and his visit to the Benjamin Franklin Museum, where he learns about the printer, inventor, and statesman's many contributions to 18th-century technology. From swim paddles to bifocal eyeglasses, from odometer to divided soup bowl, Franklin's inventions fascinated him and his sons.
