Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Friday, March 24
    Trending
    • This Day in History on March 24th
    • History Short: Has Any US President Ever Been Arrested?
    • This Day in History on March 23rd
    • R.I.P. Lance Reddick (1962-2023)
    • This Day in History on March 22nd
    • This Day in History on March 21st
    • Animated Map of the 2022 Russian Invasion of Ukraine (through March 20th, 2023)
    • This Day in History on March 20th
    History and Headlines
    • Arts & Entertainment
      • Cinema & TV
      • Games
      • Literature
      • Music
      • Sports
      • Video Games
    • Bizarre Bulletin
      • Misconceptions
      • The Bizarre
      • The Paranormal
      • The Unexplained
    • Lifestyle
      • Animals/Pets
      • Fashion
      • Food
      • Health/Medicine
      • Home Improvement
      • Horoscopes
      • Travel
    • Science & Tech
      • Inventions
      • Nature
      • Vehicles
    • Society
      • Business and Economics
      • Crime
      • Military
      • Politics
      • Religion
      • Society
    • About
      • Welcome to Our Site!
      • This Day in History
      • Table of Contents: A History of the World
      • Online History Textbooks
      • A Guide to Some of Our Favorite Scholars and Educators
      • Advance Screenings and Movie Reviews Archive
      • Schedule of Video Adaptations of Our Articles
    • Friends
      • Armchair History TV
      • Fact Fiend
      • RealClearHistory
      • Simply Charly
      • TopTenz
      • ​Unique Interpretations
    History and Headlines
    You are at:Home»April»April 14»April 14, 1775: Benjamin Franklin is The Most Interesting Man in the World!
    April 14

    April 14, 1775: Benjamin Franklin is The Most Interesting Man in the World!

    Major DanBy Major DanApril 14, 2016Updated:March 9, 2020146 Comments3 Mins Read
    Email Facebook LinkedIn Pinterest Reddit Telegram Tumblr Twitter VKontakte WhatsApp

    A Brief History

    On April 14, 1775, Benjamin Franklin along with Benjamin Rush founded the first abolitionist society in the US, The Society For the Relief of Free Negroes Unlawfully Held in Bondage.  Apparently, in those days catchy acronyms were not the style!

    Digging Deeper

    Ben Franklin was a man of such a variety of talents and involved in so many things we have to call him The Most Interesting Man in the World!

    Franklin’s birthplace on Milk Street, Boston, Massachusetts

    Born in 1706 in Boston, Franklin worked as a young man as a printer.  When only 15 he scored his first of many major firsts, in this case founding the country’s first independent newspaper.  A man of science and letters, Franklin was an accomplished writer and inventor while also being politically and socially active, serving as a political writer (Poor Richard’s Almanac), ambassador to France, and influential member of the Founding Fathers that set up the war for independence and the framing of the constitution.

    1739 Edition of Poor Richard’s Almanack

    Outgoing and popular, Franklin was not an ideal family man, but he sure was popular with the ladies!  Famous for one or more illegitimate children, Franklin also gave us the pot-bellied or Franklin stove, bifocal eyeglasses, perfected the lightning rod, founded the first circulating public library, started the first post office, experimented with electricity and served as the first Postmaster General of the US. Franklin even invented a nifty musical instrument called the Glass Armonica!

    A modern glass armonica built using Benjamin Franklin’s design

    Franklin also studied ocean currents, the nature of light, the effects of evaporation on cooling, weather patterns, various factors effecting electrical transmission, population growth rates, and he even invented the process by which a decision can be logically arrived at by listing the Pros and Cons in two columns.  Aside from the abolitionist society he also founded other societies and created the first public fire department!

    Although Franklin did own slaves, he did free them and campaign for the abolition of slavery. He also was an advocate of freedom of religion, although he may well have been an atheist himself.

    Ben Franklin helped draft the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, so in a way you can say he also invented the United States!  All these things listed here are but an incomplete list of Franklin’s accomplishments, and for absolutely fascinating reading we encourage you to look into this amazing man’s life in more detail.

    Pictured on our $100 bill (and formerly on the half-dollar coin), Franklin is one of the greatest, if not the greatest, American of all time, and deserving of the title, The Most Interesting Man in the World!

    Obverse of a Series 2006A $100 note.

    Question for students (and subscribers): Whom do you consider to be the most interesting man of 1700s?  Please let us know in the comments section below this article.

    If you liked this article and would like to receive notification of new articles, please feel welcome to subscribe to History and Headlines by liking us on Facebook and becoming one of our patrons!

    Your readership is much appreciated!

    Historical Evidence

    For more information, please see…

    Franklin, Benjamin.  The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin.  Tribeca Books, 2013.

    Isaacson, Walter.  Benjamin Franklin: An American Life.  Simon & Schuster, 2004.

    Share. Email Facebook LinkedIn Pinterest Reddit Telegram Twitter Tumblr
    Previous ArticleApril 14, 1994: US Air Force Shoots Down 2 US Army Helicopters!
    Next Article How Ancient Egypt Shaped The Modern World
    Major Dan

    Major Dan is a retired veteran of the United States Marine Corps. He served during the Cold War and has traveled to many countries around the world. Prior to his military service, he graduated from Cleveland State University, having majored in sociology. Following his military service, he worked as a police officer eventually earning the rank of captain prior to his retirement.

    Related Posts

    History Short: Has Any US President Ever Been Arrested?

    March 24, 2023

    History Short: Is Nuclear Power Safe?

    March 12, 2023

    History Short: What is the Greatest Tool Ever Made?

    March 11, 2023
    Follow Us!
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
    • Patreon
    Sign Up For Our Newsletter!
    Most Recent

    This Day in History on March 24th

    March 24, 2023

    History Short: Has Any US President Ever Been Arrested?

    March 24, 2023

    This Day in History on March 23rd

    March 23, 2023

    R.I.P. Lance Reddick (1962-2023)

    March 23, 2023

    This Day in History on March 22nd

    March 22, 2023
    This Day in History Video

    Advertisements




    Amazon Affiliate Disclosure Statement

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases via links in the “Historical Evidence” sections of articles.

    About HistoryAndHeadlines.com

    Thanks for visiting History and Headlines!  This site exists primarily for educational purposes and is intended as a resource for Dr. Zar’s students.  Articles are mostly written by either Dr. Zar or his dad (Major Dan).  To any guest readers, please keep that in mind when commenting on articles.   Thank you!

    We try to present our students with historical topics that are both diverse and a bit out of the ordinary.  Our motto is “We try until we succeed!”

    Contact us at admin@historyandheadlines.com

    Guidelines and Policies for Images used on This Site, as well as for Guest and Sponsored Articles, and Other Terms of Use

    Privacy Statement

    © 2023 History and Headlines

    All-Time Most Commented

    July 28, 1866: 18 Year Old Girl Wins Commission to Sculpt Statue of Lincoln (A Truly Great American Woman)

    July 28, 2014

    December 24, 1865: Birth of the Ku Klux Klan

    December 24, 2015

    December 25, 1868: President Johnson Pardons all Confederate Veterans

    December 25, 2015

    February 5, 1909: First Plastic Invented was called Bakelite!

    February 5, 2014

    November 23, 1876: “Boss” Tweed Turned Over to Authorities

    November 23, 2013
    Recommended Book
    © 2023 ThemeSphere. Designed by ThemeSphere.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

    We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website.

    You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in settings.

    History and Headlines
    Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

    Strictly Necessary Cookies

    Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

    If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.