Fact Sheet

Top 10 Things You Couldn't Do Without Ben Franklin's Curiosity And Intellect

Franklin's Lightning Rod

Photo by Peter Harholdt

PHILADELPHIA, October 31, 2005 - Ben Franklin turned 300 on January 17, 2006, but a one-day party wouldn’t suffice. Philadelphia, his adopted hometown, is throwing a year-long bash for plenty of reasons. Not only did Franklin’s innovative approach to life make him one of the most notable figures in history, but without his inventions, theories, discoveries, civic improvements, writings and entrepreneurial precedents, the world would undoubtedly be different today. Here’s a look at some daily pleasures and practical solutions that can be attributed to Ben’s curiosity and intellect:

1. Scuba dive.
   Franklin invented swim fins in 1717, when he was only 11 years old.
2. Pick up your favorite daily newspaper.
   Franklin went from being an apprentice printer to the owner of his own printing shop, where he printed his newspaper – one of the most enjoyable to read in the colonies – and his famous Poor Richard's almanacs. He was one of the first colonial businessmen to franchise his business, setting up others throughout the colonies with their own newspapers and printing shops.
3. Check a book out of the library.
   In 1731, Franklin established the Library Company of Philadelphia, the oldest lending library in America.
4. Laugh at your favorite politician.
   Franklin created the first political cartoon in North America, which was published in Plain Truth in 1747.
5. Protect your house from lightning.
   Franklin invented the lightning rod in 1750.
6. Collect insurance after a fire.
   Franklin founded North America's first mutual insurance company in 1751.
7. Turn the lights on and off.
   Though Franklin didn't discover electricity, he did put it to practical use by coming up with the concept of electric current in 1752. To understand how electricity works, he performed many experiments with it, including his famous kite and key experiment.
8. Mail your best friend a birthday card.
   Appointed joint Deputy Postmaster General of North American colonies in 1753, Franklin revolutionized the postal service.
9. Enjoy hot dogs and fireworks on the Fourth of July.
   Franklin negotiated with France to provide the colonies with military and financial support for the Revolutionary War.
10. Maybe even read this story.
    When Franklin's eyesight began deteriorating, he invented bifocals.

Ben Franklin 300 Philadelphia is a year-long celebration of Benjamin Franklin's 300th birthday, coordinated and marketed by the Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary, the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation, the National Constitution Center and CBS 3. Festivities will run from fall 2005 through 2006 and will focus on the world premiere of the international traveling exhibition, Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World at the National Constitution Center. The Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary, a non-profit organization, is supported by a lead grant of $4 million from The Pew Charitable Trusts and established to reaffirm Franklin's enduring legacy in his 300th birthday year. The Tercentenary was founded in 2000 by the American Philosophical Society, The Franklin Institute, the Library Company of Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the University of Pennsylvania. For more information about the exhibition, related programs and traveling to Philadelphia, visit www.gophila.com/ben.

Cara Schneider, GPTMC
(215) 599-0789, cara@gptmc.com

Sharon Murphy, Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary
(215) 790-7867, sharon@alta247.com