1790 : BENJAMIN FRANKLIN DIES:
On April 17, 1790, American statesman, printer, scientist, and writer
Benjamin Franklin dies in Philadelphia at age 84.
Born in Boston in 1706, Franklin became at 12 years old an apprentice
to his half brother James, a printer and publisher. He learned the
printing trade and in 1723 went to Philadelphia to work after a
dispute with his brother. After a sojourn in London, he started a
printing and publishing press with a friend in 1728. In 1729, the
company won a contract to publish Pennsylvania's paper currency and
also began publishing the Pennsylvania Gazette, which was regarded as
one of the better colonial newspapers. From 1732 to 1757, he wrote and
published Poor Richard's Almanack, an instructive and humorous
periodical in which Franklin coined such practical American proverbs
as "God helps those who help themselves" and "Early to bed and early
to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise."
As his own wealth and prestige grew, Franklin took on greater civic
responsibilities in Philadelphia and helped establish the city's first
circulating library, police force, volunteer fire company, and an
academy that became the University of Pennsylvania. From 1737 to 1753,
he was postmaster of Philadelphia and during this time also served as
a clerk of the Pennsylvania legislature. In 1753, he became deputy
postmaster general, in charge of mail in all the northern colonies.
Deeply interested in science and technology, he invented the Franklin
stove, which is still manufactured today, and bifocal eyeglasses,
among other practical inventions. In 1748, he turned his printing
business over to his partner so he would have more time for his
experiments. The phenomenon of electricity fascinated him, and in a
dramatic experiment he flew a kite in a thunderstorm to prove that
lightning is an electrical discharge. He later invented the lightning
rod. Many terms used in discussing electricity, including positive,
negative, battery, and conductor, were coined by Franklin in his
scientific papers. He was the first American scientist to be highly
regarded in European scientific circles.
Franklin was active in colonial affairs and in 1754 proposed the union
of the colonies, which was rejected by Britain. In 1757, he went to
London to argue for the right to tax the massive estates of the Penn
family in Pennsylvania, and in 1764 went again to ask for a new
charter for Pennsylvania. He was in England when Parliament passed the
Stamp Act, a taxation measure to raise revenues for a standing British
army in America. His initial failure to actively oppose the
controversial act drew wide criticism in the colonies, but he soon
redeemed himself by stoutly defending American rights before the House
of Commons. With tensions between the American colonies and Britain
rising, he stayed on in London and served as agent for several
colonies.
In 1775, he returned to America as the American Revolution approached
and was a delegate at the Continental Congress. In 1776, he helped
draft the Declaration of Independence and in July signed the final
document. Ironically, Franklin's illegitimate son, William Franklin,
whom Franklin and his wife had raised, had at the same time emerged as
a leader of the Loyalists. In 1776, Congress sent Benjamin Franklin,
one of the embattled United States' most prominent statesmen, to
France as a diplomat. Warmly embraced, he succeeded in 1778 in
securing two treaties that provided the Americans with significant
military and economic aid. In 1781, with French help, the British were
defeated. With John Jay and John Adams, Franklin then negotiated the
Treaty of Paris with Britain, which was signed in 1783.
In 1785, Franklin returned to the United States. In his last great
public service, he was a delegate to the Constitutional Convention of
1787 and worked hard for the document's ratification. After his death
in 1790, Philadelphia gave him the largest funeral the city had ever
seen.
history.com/tdih.do
1970 : Apollo 13 returns to Earth
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Benjamin Franklin dies in Philadelphia at age 84.
Born in Boston in 1706, Franklin became at 12 years old an apprentice
to his half brother James, a printer and publisher. He learned the
printing trade and in 1723 went to Philadelphia to work after a
dispute with his brother. After a sojourn in London, he started a
printing and publishing press with a friend in 1728. In 1729, the
company won a contract to publish Pennsylvania's paper currency and
also began publishing the Pennsylvania Gazette, which was regarded as
one of the better colonial newspapers. From 1732 to 1757, he wrote and
published Poor Richard's Almanack, an instructive and humorous
periodical in which Franklin coined such practical American proverbs
as "God helps those who help themselves" and "Early to bed and early
to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise."
As his own wealth and prestige grew, Franklin took on greater civic
responsibilities in Philadelphia and helped establish the city's first
circulating library, police force, volunteer fire company, and an
academy that became the University of Pennsylvania. From 1737 to 1753,
he was postmaster of Philadelphia and during this time also served as
a clerk of the Pennsylvania legislature. In 1753, he became deputy
postmaster general, in charge of mail in all the northern colonies.
Deeply interested in science and technology, he invented the Franklin
stove, which is still manufactured today, and bifocal eyeglasses,
among other practical inventions. In 1748, he turned his printing
business over to his partner so he would have more time for his
experiments. The phenomenon of electricity fascinated him, and in a
dramatic experiment he flew a kite in a thunderstorm to prove that
lightning is an electrical discharge. He later invented the lightning
rod. Many terms used in discussing electricity, including positive,
negative, battery, and conductor, were coined by Franklin in his
scientific papers. He was the first American scientist to be highly
regarded in European scientific circles.
Franklin was active in colonial affairs and in 1754 proposed the union
of the colonies, which was rejected by Britain. In 1757, he went to
London to argue for the right to tax the massive estates of the Penn
family in Pennsylvania, and in 1764 went again to ask for a new
charter for Pennsylvania. He was in England when Parliament passed the
Stamp Act, a taxation measure to raise revenues for a standing British
army in America. His initial failure to actively oppose the
controversial act drew wide criticism in the colonies, but he soon
redeemed himself by stoutly defending American rights before the House
of Commons. With tensions between the American colonies and Britain
rising, he stayed on in London and served as agent for several
colonies.
In 1775, he returned to America as the American Revolution approached
and was a delegate at the Continental Congress. In 1776, he helped
draft the Declaration of Independence and in July signed the final
document. Ironically, Franklin's illegitimate son, William Franklin,
whom Franklin and his wife had raised, had at the same time emerged as
a leader of the Loyalists. In 1776, Congress sent Benjamin Franklin,
one of the embattled United States' most prominent statesmen, to
France as a diplomat. Warmly embraced, he succeeded in 1778 in
securing two treaties that provided the Americans with significant
military and economic aid. In 1781, with French help, the British were
defeated. With John Jay and John Adams, Franklin then negotiated the
Treaty of Paris with Britain, which was signed in 1783.
In 1785, Franklin returned to the United States. In his last great
public service, he was a delegate to the Constitutional Convention of
1787 and worked hard for the document's ratification. After his death
in 1790, Philadelphia gave him the largest funeral the city had ever
seen.
history.com/tdih.do
1970 : Apollo 13 returns to Earth
history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=4929
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