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Benjamin Franklin was born on 17th January 1706 on Milk Street in Boston, Massachusetts. He was an active writer, diplomat, statesman, publisher, political philosopher, and scientist. He founded many civic organisations, such as the Library Company and the University of Pennsylvania. He earned the title of “The First American” for his indomitable contribution to the American freedom struggle. Benjamin Franklin’s inventions, such as the lightning rod, bifocals, and demography, were groundbreaking and historic. Let’s learn more about his early life struggles.
Early Life
When Benjamin Franklin was twelve, his father apprenticed him to his brother James at a Printing shop. His brother James had taught him the nuances of being a printer by trade. Later, Benjamin left for Philadelphia at the age of seventeen. He later started working as a typesetter in one of the London printing shops before forming the junto, also called the Leather Apron Club, at the age of 21. A group created for like-minded individuals; they used to discuss matters of current events, philosophy, and the business affairs revolving around the economy. He also had a key role in the establishment of the library company of Philadelphia in 1731. In 1728, Benjamin established a printing company with one of his colleagues from the Junto, Hugh Meredith, and within one year, franklin published his newspaper, which was termed “ The Pennysylvania Gazette” These were some of the important events that formed a part of Benjamin Franklin biography. Now let’s learn about the famous inventions of Benjamin Franklin.
Benjamin Franklin’s Inventions
Some of the famous inventions of Benjamin Franklin are as follows:
- Lightning Rod: Also known as the “Kite experiment”, in 1749, he turned his fascination for electricity into a reality when he decided to build lightning rods to protect buildings from lightning strikes. He theorised that sharp iron needles disrupted electricity away from a charged metal sphere. His invention became so popular and effective that it soon started being used in buildings.
- Bifocals: As Franklin grew older, he realised that his eyesight was getting weaker for both near and far vision. After being tired of rotating eyeglasses, he finally invented Double spectacles, which we now term Bifocals. His double spectacles were designed for both far and near vision, which instantly became a hit at that time.
- The Franklin Stove: After being fed off the gruesome winters in Pennsylvania, He invented an innovative way to heat rooms. He designed a metal-lined fireplace just a few spaces away from the chimney. A hollow space in the rear for heat to come from the fire mix, this invention of Franklin was unique as it produced less smoke than the already prevalent fireplace of those times, making it go into demand among the public.
- Glass Harmonica: Franklin stated that he got the greatest satisfaction from the invention of the Glass Harmonica Franklin designed the instrument in 1761 where you could create music by touching the bottom of the glasses, which were filled with water. The harmonica became an instant hit.
Benjamin Franklin’s Facts
A few interesting facts about Benjamin Franklin are as follows:
- Benjamin Franklin was an astounding printer and a newspaper editor. He became a popular newspaper printer at the young age of seventeen
- He gave the proposal of the Albany Plan of a union in 1754 to unite the American colonies
- Franklin was one of the founding members of the American liberty and its independence movement. He signed both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States
- Benjamin Franklin was well known internationally as he used to travel abroad as a representative of the United States of America
- A part of Benjamin Franklin’s biography also states that he was an editor, author, inventor, scholar, scientist, diplomat, and philosopher
- Franklin had done many inventions, such as the lightning rod, bifocals, the Franklin stove, and the glass harmonica, which became quite a revelation during those days
- Benjamin Franklin owned slaves at first but later on realised the gruesome cruelty hurled on slaves and then became a petitioner for the abolishment of slavery in America
- Franklin was the oldest of the founding pillars of America’s freedom struggle and independence from British colonialism.
Conclusion
In this article, we learned about Benjamin Franklin’s biography, his early life, certain interesting facts related to his life, and his plethora of inventions that changed the world during those times. But still, some doubts may remain regarding Benjamin Franklin’s facts and other key concepts, which is why we are presenting an exhaustive FAQ section to clear all your concepts regarding Benjamin Franklin.
