In my opinion one of the Greatest of the Founding Fathers, Inventor, Statesman, Scientist, Publisher. All this in spite of his short comings and foibles. I wish the current politicians had 1/10 the zeal for the Republic Franklin worked so hard to establish.

I encourage anyone who studies American History to include Benjamin Franklin.

For myself, I will not forget this Great Man.

Amazing man. Happy Birthday Benjamin!

I hope this is not too magic-oriented for the NVMS Forum, but for my educational school shows I created a great routine featuring Ben Franklin. In addition to the many credits listed above by the OP, Mr. Franklin also co-founded the first lending library in America.

I can imagine there is a number of routines in which Franklin could star. Glad to hear you are keeping him in the minds of school kids.

One of his accomplishments I am most impressed with is his early work on the movements and temperature variances of ocean currents, leading to our current understanding of the Atlantic Conveyor. Daily gathering of data through the lowering of buckets to different depths and recording the results on his several sea trips back and forth to France and England to negotiate on behalf of America, at his own expense. He may have received compensation at a later date, but he did not know if and when that would happen. He knew how to make the best use of his time.

Another interesting tidbit is that while in France, he witnessed the first hot air balloon flight.

"1776" - John Adams and Benjamin Franklin are waiting for Jefferson to finish um, romancing his wife so he can get back to the writing the Declaration of Independence

JOHN ADAMS: What will people think?

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN: Don't worry John, the history books will clean it all up.

JOHN ADAMS: Well, I'll never see the history books anyway. It will be; "Franklin did this," and "Franklin did that. Franklin smote the ground and out stepped George Washington, fully grown, on his horse. He then electrified him with his miraculous lightening rod and the three of them, Franklin, Washington and the horse, went on to win the entire Revolution single handed."

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN (Thinks about it for a second): I like it.

Very funny, Ed!

Interesting how many people think Ben Franklin was a US President ...

Well, he's on the money isn't he? They don't put you on the money unless you're a President!!!

What? Alexander Hamilton wasn't a President either? Of course he was! He's on the Twenty!

They don't put you on the money unless you're a President! Weren't you listening???


Seriously, I've had to deal with people like this.