Benjamin Franklin timeline

Benjamin Franklin Is Born

Benjamin Franklin was born on January 17, 1706, in Boston, Massachusetts, but his adopted home was Philadelphia, the largest city in... Read more

Benjamin Franklin Invents Swimming Fin

Franklin was an avid swimmer and was well-known for his aquatic abilities as a youth and also as an adult. The exact date for the invention is... Read more

Benjamin Franklin Begins Apprenticeship

After a failed cutlery apprenticeship, 12-year-old Ben was apprenticed to his brother James to learn the printer’s trade. Ben’s quick mind and... Read more

Benjamin Franklin Writes under Pseudonym Silence Dogood

Silence Dogood was a false persona used by Benjamin Franklin to get his work published. As a teenager, Franklin worked as an apprentice in his... Read more

Benjamin Franklin Leaves Boston

The apprenticeship with his brother grew less and less tolerable, so young Franklin decided to run away from Boston and break his indenture.... Read more

Benjamin Franklin Makes First Trip to London

Believing he was being bankrolled by Pennsylvania’s governor, Franklin sailed to England aboard the London Hope. In London, his hopes were dashed... Read more

Benjamin Franklin Sets up Self-Improvement Plan

In his Autobiography, Franklin explains that he felt he needed to be a more moral person, so he set up a self-improvement plan based on thirteen... Read more

Benjamin Franklin Establishes the Junto

The Junto was a club established in 1727 by Benjamin Franklin for mutual improvement in Philadelphia. Also known as the Leather Apron Club, its... Read more

Benjamin Franklin and Partner Buy Pennsylvania Gazette

Franklin and a partner bought the newspaper in 1729. A year later the partner resigned, leaving Franklin as the sole publisher. Under Franklin’s... Read more

Benjamin Franklin Marries Deborah Read

At the age of 17, Franklin proposed to 15-year-old Deborah Read while a boarder in the Read home. At that time, the mother was wary of allowing her... Read more

William Franklin, Illegitimate Son of Benjamin Franklin, Born

William Franklin (1731-November 17, 1813) was the last Colonial Governor of New Jersey. William was a steadfast Loyalist throughout the... Read more

The Library Company Of Philadelphia Signs A Contract With Its First Librarian

On November 14, 1732 the Library Company of Philadelphia signed a contract with its first librarian. Founded by Benjamin Franklin and friends in... Read more

Benjamin Franklin Begins Publishing "Poor Richard's Almanac"

Poor Richard's Almanack (sometimes Almanac) was a yearly almanac published by Benjamin Franklin, who adopted the pseudonym of "Poor Richard" or... Read more

Benjamin Franklin Creates the Union Fire Company

The Union Fire Company was the first organized volunteer fire fighting organization in America. Members paid annual dues and were charged fines for... Read more

Benjamin Franklin Observes Movement of Storms

One of Franklin's first recorded observations of weather patterns occurred in October of 1743, when he planned to observe an eclipse of the moon.... Read more

Benjamin Franklin Creates New Stove Design

Franklin published a pamphlet to sell the "Pennsylvania Fire-Place," a new stove design he had created. The pamphlet touted its benefits and the... Read more

Benjamin Franklin Organizes the Pennsylvania Militia

In 1756, Franklin organized the Pennsylvania Militia (see "Associated Regiment of Philadelphia" under heading of Pennsylvania's 103rd Artillery and... Read more

Benjamin Franklin Buys Farm

Upon retiring from the printing business, Franklin purchased a farm near Burlington, New Jersey. While Franklin intended to live on the farm... Read more

Benjamin Franklin Retires from Printing

Franklin’s printing business, along with the profits from Poor Richard’s Almanack, gave him enough financial security that he turned over the... Read more

Benjamin Franklin Opens Pennsylvania Academy and College

As he matured, Franklin began to concern himself more with public affairs. In 1743, he set forth a scheme for The Academy and College of... Read more

First Political Cartoon Printed

"Join, or Die" is a well-known political cartoon, created by Benjamin Franklin and first published in his Pennsylvania Gazette on May 9, 1754. The... Read more

Franco-American Alliance Signed

On February 6, 1778, France and the fledgling United States of America signed the Treaty of Amity and Commerce and the Treaty of Alliance in Paris,... Read more

State of Franklin Petitions for Statehood but is not Admitted into the Union

The State of Franklin was an autonomous, secessionist United States territory created not long after the end of the American Revolution from... Read more

United States Constitution Signed by Members of the Constitutional Convention

The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. The first three Articles of the Constitution establish... Read more

The U. S. Post Office First Issues The Postage Stamp

On July 1, 1847, the United States Post Office issued its first general issue postage stamp, a five-cent stamp honoring Benjamin Franklin, the... Read more