Benjamin franklin biographical information

1706-1790

Who Was Benjamin Franklin?

Benjamin Franklin was a Founding Father and a polymath, inventor, scientist, printer, politician, freemason and diplomat.

Franklin helped to draft the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, and he negotiated the 1783 Treaty of Paris ending the Revolutionary War.

His scientific pursuits included investigations into electricity, mathematics and mapmaking.

A writer known for his wit and wisdom, Franklin also published Poor Richard’s Almanack, invented bifocal glasses and organized the first successful American lending library.

Quick Facts

FULL NAME: Benjamin Franklin
BORN: January 17, 1706
DIED: April 17, 1790
BIRTHPLACE: Boston, Massachusetts
SPOUSE: Deborah Read (1730-1774)
CHILDREN: William, Francis, Sarah
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Capricorn

Early Life

Franklin was born on January 17, 1706, in Boston, in what was then known as the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

Franklin’s father, English-born soap and candle