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Benjamin Franklin: Quick Facts

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News •

Franklin, Tollefson vie for 88th Assembly District seat | Election 2026 • Oct. 16, 2026, 4:59 PM ET (Green Bay Press-Gazette)

Facts

Also Known As Silence Dogood • Richard Saunders
Born January 17, 1706 • Boston • Massachusetts
Died April 17, 1790 (aged 84) • Philadelphia • Pennsylvania
Title / Office Continental Congress (1775-1775), United States
Founder American Philosophical Society
Awards And Honors Hall of Fame (1900) • Copley Medal (1753)
Subjects Of Study lightning rod
Role In American Revolution • Constitutional Convention

Did You Know?

  • Benjamin Franklin invented his own phonetic alphabet.
  • Benjamin Franklin wrote a satirical essay on improving the odor of flatulence.
  • Franklin never patented his inventions.
  • Benjamin Franklin took "air baths", sitting naked with the windows open.
  • At 16 years old, Benjamin Franklin became a vegetarian but later abandoned the practice.

Photos and Videos

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