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Benjamin Franklin Timeline


Timeline Description: Benjamin Franklin was known as an inventor and a thinker. He made many contributions to the America we know today, and his achievements are outlined in this timeline.

DateEvent TitleEvent Description
1706Benjamin FranklinBenjamin was born in Boston, MA.
1717His first inventionAn 11 year old Benjamin invented a pair of fins to wear on his hands while he swam.
1720A love for learningBenjamin loved reading and studying so much that he gave up lots of other activities to give him more time to learn. He even gave up church!
1722The VegetarianBenjamin gave up eating meat so that it would save him money to buy more books.
1723The PrinterBenjamin began work as a printer, printing the newspapers and books he loved so much.
1728His first publicationBenjamin had his first paper published. It was titled "Articles of Belief and Acts of Religion", and many others papers followed.
1729Paper money (1729 and 1736)In 1729 Benjamin wrote a paper on the need for paper money in the colonies. In 1736 he printed his first run of paper money for New Jersey.
1737The First PostmasterBenjamin was appointed as the first Postmaster of Philadelphia.
1746ExperimentationBenjamin started his first of many electrical experiments.
1747An electrical tubeBenjamin's friend, Peter Collinson, from London sent him the item known as the electrical tube. It helped strengthen Benjamin's resolve to find electricity.
1752The KiteBenjamin conducts his famous kite and electricity experiment. He tied a key to a kite, and he flew it in a lightning storm.
1753Joint Postmaster GeneralBenjamin was appointed the joint Postmaster General of North America. He later mapped out all the mail routes in the colonies.
1776The Declaration of IndependenceBenjamin Franklin helped write the Declaration of Independence.
1783The BifocalsBenjamin invented the bifocal glasses, which allowed a person to see clearly up close or far away.
1790Benjamin's deathBenjamin died at the age of 84. He contributed to the founding of public schooling, the money system, religious institutions, the American government, and more-he will never be forgotten.