Post by b0b on Jan 17th, 2006 at 9:22am
Happy 300th birthday, Benjamin Franklin!
Born - January 17, 1706
His Early Days:
* Born the 15th of 17 children. His father was a soap-maker.
* Not having much money, his father could only afford only one year of school for Benjamin growing up.
* He worked in his brother's printing press as a child.
* Ran away from home at 17 to escape abusive older brother and started work in printing shop in Philadelphia.
* Worked hard, saved and borrowed money and bought the "Pennsylvania Gazette" at age 23.
Citizen:
* Published "Poor Richard's Almanac" in 1733 at age 27.
* Began community projects to help clean, pave and light the streets of Philadelphia.
* Co-founded University of Pennsylvania.
* 1731: Founded the nations first subscription library, The Library Company (The Philadelphia Library).
* 1736: Organized nation's the 1st Fire Department and 1st Police Department.
* 1743: Founded the American Philosophical Society.
* 1751: Co-founded the Pennsylvania Hospital, the first public hospital in the nation.
* 1752: Founded the "Philadelphia Contribution for Insurance Against Loss by Fire" to help families who lost homes due to fire.
* 1774: Co-founded America's first anti-slavery society - The Society to Abolish Slavery.
* 1789: First person to ever formally address the U.S. Congress on behalf of abolishing slavery.
Inventor:
* Franklin Stove.
* Swim fins.
* The glass armonica.
* Bifocal glasses.
* Lightning rod.
* Flexible urinary catheter.
* First developed the idea of daylight savings time.
* Elected to the French Academy of Sciences and London's Royal Society.
* Honorary degrees from Oxford and University of St. Andrew.
Statesman:
* America's first Postmaster General, organizing the first nation-wide Postal Service.
* Helped Thomas Jefferson write the Declaration of Independance.
* Served as Ambassador to France to help win French monetary and military support for the American Revolution.
* Was a co-signer to the Treaty of Paris, ending the American Revolution.
* Was a co-signer to the U.S. Constitution.
* Was the only person to sign the Declaration of Independance, Treaty of Paris, Articles of Confederation and the Constitution.
Wisdom:
* "Well done is better than well said."
* "God helps them that help themselves."
* "Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise."
* "Never leave that till tomorrow which you can do today."
* "The Constitution only guarantees the American people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself."
* "When the people find they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic."
* "We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately."
* "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."
* "Rebellion against tyrants is obedience to God."
* "Even peace may be purchased at too high a price."
* "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
* "Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote." (attributed)
People from all walks of life on both sides of the Atlantic knew and respected Ben. A scientist, philosopher, author and one of the most influential and important Founding Fathers of our nation's history. Truly an American Renaissance Man for the ages.
"A Republic, if you can keep it."
~ Benjamin Franklin, answering a citizen's question about what kind of government the Founding Fathers were creating.
-b0b
(...w00ts!)