Day with a Difference - April 17, 2006

Today's Inspirational Quote:

You are never given a wish without also being given the power to make it true. You may have to work for it, however. - Richard Bach

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

On April 17, 1790, American statesman, printer, scientist, and writer Benjamin Franklin dies in Philadelphia at age 84.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.

Deeply interesting 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.

In 1776, he helped draft the Declaration of Independence and in July signed the final document. 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.

Expand your knowledge base

Interesting facts:

In the 1780's, part of Wrentham, Massachusetts split off from Wrentham. As was common, this group of rural Massachusetts farmers used their church as the cultural, social, religous and governmental center of the town. Unfortunately, they had no bell in the church. There was no way to summon the farmers for services, or for emergencies such as fire. As a result, they came up with a clever plan. They named their new town "Franklin", and wrote a letter to Benjamin Franklin asking him to donate a bell. However, Dr. Franklin was not so inclined. "Sense being preferable to sound," Dr. Franklin sent the good farmers a crate of books instead, and suggested they start a library. They did. It's still operating. It is the oldest public library in the United States.

Have a memorable day!
Priya