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Birth
Born in Boston, the youngest son of Josiah and Abiah (Folger) Franklin -
Period: to
Benjamin Franklin's life from birth till death
Benjamin Franklin's life from birth till death -
Ben's first invention
Ben invents swim fins at the age of 10 to swim faster -
School
Benjamin Franklin Finished formal schoolling. -
Work
Benjamin Franklin worked for his brother James, as a printers apprentice. -
Moves away
Fanklin moved away from home into a boarding house -
Writing
James Franklin starts publishing "The New England Courant" with the help of benjamin -
Becomes a vegetarian
He is motivated by a distaste for flesh, but also because he can save money and buy more books -
Takes over the publishing of the Courant
Takes over the publishing of the Courant after brother James is jailed due to contempt charges. -
Runs away
Runs away from apprenticeship, goes to New York and then to Philadelphia, where he gains employment as a printer. -
Returns home to Boston
Franklin returns home to Boston to try and borrow money from his father to start a print shop, he was denied. -
Returns to Philadelphia
He returns to Philadelphia and courts Deborah Read. -
Travels to London
Under encouragement from PA Governor William Keith travels to London in order buy printing equipment. Keith's letters of credit for him never materialized and Franklin is stranded in London. Remains in London working as a printer working for Samuel Palmer. -
Writing
Franklin Publishes his first pamphlet: "A Dissertation upon Liberty and Necessity, Pleasure and Pain" -
Establishment
Franklin establishes a Philadelphia printing partnership with Hugh Meredith; rents a building that serves as home and printshop -
Writing
He Writes a pamphlet entitled "The Nature and Necessity of a Paper Currency" -
Purchases The Pennsylvania Gazette
He purchases The Pennsylvania Gazette from Samuel Keimer and became owner/publisher. -
Buys out his partner
Franklin buys out his partner to become sole owner of his comany -
He became the official printer for Pennsylvania
He was elected the official printer for Pennsylvania -
common-law marriage
Franklin marries Deborah Read Rogers -
Found the first lending library
Due to all his thinking, Franklin was able to think of the First lending library -
Birth of Francis Folger
Francis Folger was born to Benjamin franklin and Deborah Read Franklin -
Writing
Franklin publishes the first edition of "Poor Richard's Almanack" -
Death of francis Floger
Franklin's son, Francis Floger, who was 4 years old died of smallpox -
Helps found the Union Fire Company
The Union Fire Company which organizes and trains teams of firemen. -
Becomes a Postmaster
Franklin begins service as postmaster of Philadelphia -
Sarah Franklin is Born
Benjamin Franklin's only daughter, Sarah (sally) Franklin, was born. -
Writing
Franklin publishes A Proposal for Promoting Useful Knowledge, leading to the formation of the American
Philosophical Society -
Retires
Franklin retires from the printing business at the age of forty-two
Benjamin Franklin Timeline of Events -
Invention of lightning rod
Franklin invented the Lightning rod to divert lightning from buildings during thunderstorms. -
Key and kite experiment
Franklin performs legendary kite and key experiment, confirming his theory that electricity existed in
thunderclouds in the form of lightning -
Job
Appointed joint deputy postmaster general of North America -
Albany Plan of Union
Franklin drafts the Albany Plan of Union, urging the colonies to form a united defense against threats
from the French and their Native American allies -
Publishes "Join or Die" cartoon
Franklin publishes in The Pennsylvania Gazette the “Join, or Die” cartoon, America’s first symbol of the
united colonies -
"A Way to Wealth" is published
A Way to Wealth, a collection of Franklin’s Poor Richard’s writings is published -
Awarded an honorary doctorate degree
He was awarded an honorary doctorate degree from Oxford University, England -
Elected president of the American Philosophical Society
Elected president of the American Philosophical Society -
Autobiography
He begins writing his Autobiography -
Deborah Read Franklin dies
Franklin's wife, Deborah Read Franklin, dies at the age of 66 -
Appointed commissioner to the court of France
Fraklin was appointed commissioner to the court of France and arrives in Paris to get to work -
Helps negotiate and signs the Treaty of Amity and Commerce
Franklin helps negotiate and signs the Treaty of Amity and Commerce between America and France,
securing critical support from the French in the form of loans, military supplies, and troops -
Helps negotiate and signs Treaty of Paris
which officially ending the Revolutionary War -
Moves back to Philadelphia
After his years of service in France he decides to go back to Philadelphia -
Elected president of the Pennsylvania Society
This is for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery. Serves as
delegate to the Constitutional Convention -
He dies
Benjamin Franklin died at the age of 84
