40 Fascinating Benjamin Franklin Facts
Do you know Benjamin Franklin is one of the most accomplished individuals in American history and played many roles in his 84 years of life? Learn more in this list of facts about Benjamin Franklin.
1. Benjamin Franklin was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on January 17, 1706.
2. Benjamin Franklin is known as Founding Father of the U.S.
3. Josiah Franklin and Abiah Folger Franklin Benjamin Franklin’s fathers.
4. Benjamin Franklin spent most of his life in Pennsylvania.
5. Benjamin Franklin was a leading author, political theorist, inventor, civic activist, politician, Mason, postmaster, scientist, statesman, and diplomat.
6. Benjamin Franklin was the first secretary of the American Philosophical Society.
7. Benjamin Franklin’s father, Josiah Franklin, had 17 children with 2 wives and Benjamin Franklin was the 8th to the second wife but the 15th in total.
8. Benjamin Franklin published a paper saying America’s population growth was so fast, it would surpass Britain in 100 years.
9. Benjamin Franklin wrote a scientific essay about farts namely “Fart Proudly”.
10. Benjamin Franklin tried to eliminate slavery in 1790.
11. Benjamin Franklin spent up to an hour writing or reading completely naked in his house.
12. Benjamin Franklin invented the bifocals eyeglasses in 1784.
13. Benjamin Franklin also invented the Harmonica and in Europe, it became so popular that Mozart & Beethoven composed music with it.
14. Benjamin Franklin also invented a pair of swim fins at the age of 11.
15. In 1999, Benjamin Franklin was inducted into the Chess Hall of Fame of the U.S.
16. Benjamin Franklin completed honorary degrees from Yale and Harvard Universities.
17. In 1753, Benjamin Franklin received the Royal Society’s Copley Medal for his work with electricity.
18. Benjamin Franklin’s autobiography started in 1771 but was only published after his death.
19. Benjamin Franklin was the richest person in the United States in 1785.
20. He spoke 5 languages: French, English, Latin, Italian and Spanish.
21. At the age of 22, he was the owner of the Pennsylvania Gazette newspaper.
22. Benjamin Franklin actually had two birthdays because the British colonies changed to a different calendar.
23. He invented the electrical positive and negative terms which are still used today.
24. Benjamin Franklin also gave us the word “battery”.
25. For many years Benjamin Franklin served as Postmaster to the colonies.
26. Benjamin Franklin lived his life by 13 rules which he called “the 13 virtues.”
27. The first ever pamphlet published by Benjamin Franklin was titled, “A Dissertation upon Liberty and Necessity, Pleasure and Pain”.
28. Benjamin Franklin produced the famous “Join or Die” political cartoon, which was printed in the Gazette on May 9, 1754.
29. William Franklin, Francis Folger Franklin, and Sarah Franklin were Benjamin Franklin’s children.
30. Benjamin Franklin was not allowed to write the Declaration of Independence because everyone thought that he’s trying to slip a joke into the document.
31. Benjamin Franklin edited and published the first Masonic book in the Americas in1734.
32. Benjamin Franklin had an illegitimate son who remained loyal to the British and fled to Londan after the war.
33. Benjamin Franklin thought the Bald Eagle was a bad national symbol because it was “a bird of bad moral character that does not get his living honestly.”
34. Benjamin Franklin was the first to bring Tofu into America.
35. Benjamin Franklin regularly published articles under the guise of Ms. Silence Dogood at the age of 16.
36. Benjamin Franklin was not too good at math. Even most of his experiments with electricity count on trial and error.
37. Ben Franklin was the first chess player in the United States.
38. 20,000 people attended his funeral on April 17, 1790.
39. The last words of Benjamin Franklin’s were,”A dying man can do nothing easy.”
