Politics · Literature · 1706–1790
Born: 17 January 1706 · Died: 17 April 1790 · Age at death: 84
Benjamin Franklin died aged 84. He was born on 17 January 1706 and died on 17 April 1790.
American Founding Father, printer and scientist who experimented with lightning and helped draft the Declaration of Independence
Did you know?He never patented his inventions, such as bifocals or the lightning rod, believing they should be free for all.
Franklin may be the most well-rounded of America's founders, equally at home in a print shop, a laboratory or a royal court. He rose from humble beginnings as a printer's apprentice to become a publisher, writer and civic organiser, founding a library, a fire company and a university in Philadelphia. His famous experiments with electricity, including flying a kite in a storm, made him internationally renowned. As a diplomat in France, he secured the alliance that helped America win independence. His wit and practical wisdom, in sayings like 'Early to bed and early to rise', are still widely quoted.
Benjamin Franklin (January 17, 1706 – April 17, 1790) was an American polymath active as a physicist, philosopher, statesman and inventor who was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. He was a drafter and signer of the Declaration of Independence, and the first postmaster general.
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“In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.”
Profile
American statesman and scientist, born 1706
Benjamin Franklin was born in Boston on 17 January 1706.
He proved lightning is electricity.
He signed the Declaration of Independence.
He invented bifocals and the lightning rod.
Career highlights
Did you know?He appears on the US $100 bill.
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Last reviewed: October 2026