Notes

Benjamin Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. He was a politican, scientist, musician, inventor, statesman and a diplomat.
He was the tenth son of a soap and candle manufacturer and he was born on Milk Street, in Boston, Massachusetts, on January 17, 1706. His father’s name was Josiah Franklin. His mother’s name was Abiah Folger. Josiah wanted Ben to attend school but he had enough money to send him to school for only two years. He attended Boston Latin School but he didn’t graduate. Although his parents talked of the church as a career for Benjamin, he ended his education when he was ten. Then, he worked for his father for a time.
He became an apprentice to his brother James as a printer, when he was twelve. He learned printing and he started study of literature. In 1730, he founded printing house and established a newspaper. He began to publish the famous Poor Richard's Almanack under the pseudonym ‘Richard Saunders’, in 1733. He founded a club called “Junto”. Reading was a great pastime for the Junto, but books were rare and expensive. The members created a library, with their own books. This was the birth of Library Company of Philadelphia. It was the first library in America. It is a great research library with 500,000 rare books now. Franklin founded a hospital and a insurance company against fire. He duplicated printing houses.
He became involved in the politics and took role in the parliament. He became the parliamentary secretary in 1736.
He discovered the positive and negative terminals of the electrical loads. He propounded the principle of conservation of electrical load. He did kite-experiment by flying a kite in a storm, so he invented the lightning rod. The lightning rod is very important for us now. Also, he invented bifocal glasses. Bifocal glasses enable us to see both near and far. Besides, he invented the Glass Armonica, the Franklin Stove and a carriage odometer.
He was good at music. He was playing violin and guitar and his invention Glass Armonica very well. Franklin was interested in chess and he was a good chess player. He played chess well.
Franklin died on April 17, 1790 at the age of 84. His life was good. His inventions, ideas, scientific and political successes effected us.
He was the best scientist I have ever seen. I think that he was very important person for humanity.