Benjamin Franklin

American Inventor
By : Meghan Bush

Nationality
American

Year Born
1706

Major Inventions
Electricity, Bifocals,
Rocking Chair, Fire Department

Biography
Benjamin Franklin was born on January 17, 1706. He was the 15th child out of a total of 17 brothers and sisters. At
age 17, he ran away to Philadelphia to work on his own. He found a job as a printer and printed the Philadelphia
Gazette, a newspaper. He invented the almanac in the print shop, selling about 10,000 copies a year. When he was
an apprentice, he had learned how to type and print. That was how he could invent the almanac and print a
newspaper.
Ben was not afraid to experiment. When a thought popped in his head, he had the determination to prove it.
Ben and three of his friends were trying to analyze electricity and experiment with it. Two of his friends got
electrocuted while they were working on this. While they did this experiment, they obviously proved that lightning
was electricity. Yet, the world had not seen it, so Franklin decided to do the kite experiment, but alone.
Ben would always think about what he wanted to do in the experiment, find the materials, and think of how he
could fix something if it did not work. Finally, he would gather the materials and do the experiment. Sometimes
this process took a while. Ben was very keen to show the world that lightning was electricity. He wanted to prove
this. He decided to use a metal key to do this experiment. Yet, he still needed a way to keep the key in the air. In
1752, on a stormy day, he raised his kite with a key tied near his hand. He could feel the electric shock go through
his body. Ben had finally proven and understood lightning/electricity. Later that year, he invented the lightning rod.
In 1740, electricity was a novel and fashionable subject. Most people thought that electricity was as mysterious as
heaven. When Franklin gave the idea of lightning being a source of electricity, people were exited, and he was
supported all around the world. Ben also invented the fire department, and was a volunteer firefighter, too.
If Ben hadn't discovered lightning was electricity, we would not have anything that could run on it. Although many
people have researched electricity and found how it worked, fewer research and experiments would have
happened. Electricity has gone far from Benjamin Franklin's basic idea. We now have computers, lamps, speakers,
T.V., and many more things that run on electricity.
http://www.kyrene.org/schools/brisas/sunda/inventor/franklin/index.html

Benjamin Franklin was very determined to

prove his point. He never stopped trying, and
never let other people bring him down.
Because of this, he was a very successful in
his life. Benjamin Franklin was an amazing
person, and that is why he is an American
hero.