Benjamin Franklin

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map of the Gulf Stream drawn by Benjamin Franklin

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Benjamin Franklin

Q: What was Benjamin Franklin’s early life like?

Benjamin Franklin was born the 10th son of the 17 children of a man who made soap and candles , one of the lowliest of the artisan crafts. He learned to read very early and had one year in grammar school and another under a private teacher, but his formal education ended at age 10.

Q: What did Benjamin Franklin do?

Benjamin Franklin was a printer, publisher, author, inventor, scientist, and diplomat. One of the foremost of the Founding Fathers , he helped draft the Declaration of Independence and was one of its signers, he represented the United States in France during the American Revolution , and he was a delegate to the Constitutional Convention .

Q: What did Benjamin Franklin discover?

Benjamin Franklin made important scientific contributions regarding the nature of electricity . Among his findings was the fact that the positive and negative charges , or states of electrification of bodies, had to occur in exactly equal amounts—a crucial scientific principle known today as the law of conservation of charge.

Q: Should the United States keep Daylight Saving Time as first whimsically suggested by Benjamin Franklin?

Whether the United States keep Daylight Saving Time as first whimsically suggested by Benjamin Franklin is widely debated. Some say the longer daylight hours promote safety and help the economy. Others say the time change is bad for health and productivity. For more on the Daylight Saving debate, visit ProCon.org .

American author, scientist, and statesman

Also known as: Richard Saunders, Silence Dogood

Written by Gordon S. Wood, Theodore HornbergerSee All

Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Feb 17, 2024 • Article History

Benjamin Franklin

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Category: History & Society

Also called:: Ben Franklin

Pseudonym:: Richard Saunders

Born:: January 17 [January 6, Old Style], 1706, Boston, Massachusetts [U.S.]

Died:: April 17, 1790, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. (aged 84)

Title / Office:: Continental Congress (1775-1775), United States

Founder:: American Philosophical Society

Awards And Honors:: Hall of Fame (1900); Copley Medal (1753)

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What was Benjamin Franklin’s early life like?

What did Benjamin Franklin do?

What did Benjamin Franklin discover?

Should the United States keep Daylight Saving Time as first whimsically suggested by Benjamin Franklin?

Benjamin Franklin (born January 17 [January 6, Old Style], 1706, Boston, Massachusetts [U.S.]—died April 17, 1790, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.) American printer and publisher, author, inventor and scientist, and diplomat. One of the foremost of the Founding Fathers, Franklin helped draft the Declaration of Independence and was one of its signers, represented the United States in France during the American Revolution, and was a delegate to the Constitutional Convention. He made important contributions to science, especially in the understanding of electricity, and is remembered for the wit, wisdom, and elegance of his writing. Franklin was born the 10th son of the ...(100 of 4755 words)

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