Discover the Unexpected: Top 25 Fun and Fascinating Facts About Benjamin Franklin You Never Knew

1. Lemons to Almanacs

When life gives you lemons, make almanacs: Benjamin Franklin, hiding behind the cheeky pen name "Poor Richard", crafted the widely adored and entertainingly informative annual publication, Poor Richard's Almanack, for lo and behold, a quarter of a century! Yet, despite its delightful popularity amongst the common folk, dear ol' Benjamin's bank account barely enjoyed the tiniest whiff of wealth from the endeavor.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

2. Wagon Wheel Heroics

You've heard of training your car to "roll over;" well, buckle in for wagon wheel heroics: William Clayton, a Mormon pioneer, invented the roadometer in 1847, which was built by carpenter Appleton Milo Harmon and attached to a wagon wheel to accurately measure the distance traveled during the crossing of the plains from Missouri – counting up to 1,000 rotations, unlike its predecessor that required manually counting rotations while walking beside the wagon all day.
Source => nps.gov

Did you know Thomas Jefferson, one of America's Founding Fathers, was buried under a staggering $107,000 of personal debt? Discover how this iconic figure ended up in financial turmoil. 💸🍷📜

=> Fun Facts about Thomas-Jefferson

3. Kidney Stones to Catheters

When life gives you kidney stones, make catheters: Benjamin Franklin's ingenious invention of a flexible urinary catheter was sparked by witnessing his brother's painful struggle with kidney stones, leading him to create a hinged-segmented tube that provided greater comfort than the rigid metal counterparts used back then.
Source => fi.edu

4. Firefighting Casanova

When Ben wasn't busy charming the ladies with his fiery wit, he was busy saving the day with fire hoses: Benjamin Franklin, fondly known as the "Father of our Fire Service," founded the Union Fire Company in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1736 – the first volunteer fire company in the United States, sparking a blazing revolution in fire safety across the nation.
Source => franklinva.com

5. Kite Experiment

Hold on to your kites, folks, we've got some electrifying news for you: Benjamin Franklin did not actually discover electricity with his kite experiment, but rather demonstrated the connection between lightning and electricity, proving that lightning is a form of electrical energy. Franklin's kite experiment followed a similar one conducted by another scientist a month prior, and though his kite dodged a direct lightning strike, its close encounter with the stormy skies led to the invention of the lightning rod and earned him a prestigious Copley Medal from the Royal Society.
Source => fi.edu

6. Swimmin' Ben

Swimmin' Ben, defender of paddles and apostle of the breaststroke: Benjamin Franklin was an avid swimmer, even promoting swimming as a crucial element in education, with his grandson chronicling their aquatic escapades in France.
Source => amphilsoc.org

7. Glass Armonica

If only our politicians could play the glass armonica, they might get a taste of their own harmonious medicine: Benjamin Franklin invented this melodious instrument made of glass bowls, which enthralled 18th-century composers like Mozart, Beethoven, and Donizetti, and caused quite a stir with muscle spasms, cramps, and dizziness for some. This bizarre contraption even sparked bans after a child tragically died during a performance, yet Franklin continued to play it and refused to profit from his creation, insisting they should be accessible to all.
Source => fi.edu

8. Diploma Collector

If Ben Franklin were alive today, he'd probably have more diplomas than a hypochondriac has pills: the man was honored by universities and cities like St. Andrews, Edinburgh, Glasgow, William and Mary College, and the Royal Society for his electrifying scientific achievements.
Source => founders.archives.gov

9. Cheese-aholic

They say "say cheese," but Ben Franklin said "ship cheese!": While living abroad in Italy, Benjamin Franklin developed a love for Parmesan cheese, desiring to find a recipe for making it, and during a visit to London, he became acquainted with soybeans and tofu, sending some soybeans back to a friend in America as he believed in promoting local produce to reduce dependence on foreign imports, all while indulging in adventurous eating habits.
Source => toriavey.com

10. Midnight Mailman Ride

Before the days of speedy Amazon Prime, there was Benjamin Franklin's Midnight Ride of the Mailmen: Franklin dramatically reduced mail delivery time and established the first home-delivery system in the American colonies, cutting the duration for a letter exchange between Philadelphia and New York to just 24 hours by sending mail riders galloping through the night. The success of his postal reforms later earned him the title of the first Postmaster General of the United States.
Source => history.com

11. Daylight Saver

Who needs a candle when you've got Ben? When it comes to saving on candle wax, Benjamin Franklin certainly had a lightbulb moment: Although he didn't invent daylight saving time, he did encourage Parisians to adjust their sleep schedules to utilize natural sunlight, helping cut costs on candles and lamp oil in his 1784 essay, where he humorously suggested taxing window shutters and restricting candle usage. Actually, it took a bug enthusiast from New Zealand, George Hudson, in 1895 to officially propose daylight saving time for those extra evening rays.
Source => fi.edu

12. Organizing Guru

Before Marie Kondo made organizing cool, there was a man who'd spark joy with one hand and a kite in the other, electrifying the masses: Benjamin Franklin was a firm believer in structured daily routines with just six blocks of time, ensuring effective task management, and living by personal virtues such as honesty, industriousness, and frugality.
Source => thefocuscourse.com

13. Veggie Bookworm

Who says you can't have your cake and read it too?: Benjamin Franklin, the original bookworm, went vegetarian at 16 to not only spare the lives of innocent animals but also to save some dough for his insatiable appetite for literature!
Source => benjamin-franklin-history.org

14. Franklin on the $100 Bill

From Benjamin's many hundred dollar facelifts to his current glow up: The 2013 design of the $100 bill features Benny boy's portrait, Independence Hall, and snazzy security features like a 3-D ribbon and some magical color-shifting ink!
Source => uscurrency.gov

15. 18th-Century Fashion Icon

Move over, Kardashians - the 18th-century fashionistas were all about that Benjamin: Benjamin Franklin, during his stint as a diplomat in France, became such an icon that his image graced medallions, rings, watches, and snuffboxes, while French ladies even styled their hair à la Franklin, emulating his signature fur cap.
Source => history.state.gov

16. Birth of Free Libraries

Once upon a time in colonial Philly, Ben Franklin and his buddies came together for a bookish revolution, no dangling participles allowed: They founded the Library Company of Philadelphia in 1731 to offer access to precious literature for those who couldn't afford it, and this first lending library in America continues to thrive with over 500,000 books and 70,000 other rare items, including 2,150 that belonged to Benjamin Franklin himself.
Source => librarianshipstudies.com

17. Weatherman Ben

Before there was Al Roker or your friendly neighborhood weather app, there was the original Weatherman in Tights: Benjamin Franklin! With one eye on the skies and the other on his trusty parchment, Franklin kept a detailed "Weather Record" from 1776 to 1818, laying the foundation for our modern understanding of meteorology and climatology. However, don't go blaming old Ben for your climate change anxieties – there's no solid evidence that he ever linked human land usage and agriculture to shifts in the Earth's climate.
Source => publicdomainreview.org

18. 18th-Century Tony Stark

Say hello to the 18th-century Tony Stark: Benjamin Franklin was a versatile inventor and skilled scientist, famous for conjuring up creations like the lightning rod, bifocals, and the Franklin stove, as well as embarking on daring experiments, such as his legendary kite-flying escapade that grandly unveiled the electrifying relationship between lightning and electricity.
Source => mtsu.edu

19. Lightning Rod Creator

In a shocking turn of events, Benjamin Franklin didn't just invent ways to keep our glasses on our faces and make us question the morals of early birds: he also played a vital role in taking the sting out of mother nature's electric bug zapper in the sky! This daring inventor came up with none other than the famous lightning rod, channeling the power of lightning away from our homes and into the ground, keeping our living spaces free from electrifying surprises and fire-driven redecoration.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

20. Penny Toss Tradition

In a rather copper-tunity twist on making it rain: visitors to Benjamin Franklin's grave at Christ Church Burial Ground in Philadelphia often fling pennies onto his tombstone, paying homage to his famous phrase, "a penny saved is a penny earned," and perhaps garnering some luck as well.
Source => visitphilly.com

21. Polyglot Diplomat

Once upon a Ben-in-5-languges, the world cried, "How do you say Founding Father in French?": Benjamin Franklin, a distinguished and skilled polyglot, mastered French, German, Italian, Spanish, and Latin, leveraging his linguistic prowess during his diplomatic and ambassadorial efforts for the fledgling United States in France and Sweden.
Source => homework.study.com

22. Lightning Hobbyist

When Ben wasn't just helping the founding fathers break free, he also had an electrifying hobby on the side: Franklin crafted lightning rods in 1749 to protect Philadelphia homes and even used a kite during a storm in June 1752 to demonstrate that lightning was, in fact, atmospheric electricity, shocking the world with his important contributions to the field of electricity.
Source => philadelphiaencyclopedia.org

23. Brewmaster Ben

Who said the Founding Fathers couldn't party? As it turns out, Benjamin Franklin was basically the pioneer beer lover of his time: Not only did he proudly advocate for his fondness of the frothy brew, but he also owned and operated a brewery in Philadelphia during the 1700s, sharing a pint or two with his fellow patriots.
Source => nytimes.com

24. Chess Enthusiast

Who needs Knights and castles when you have the Morals of Chess – a queen's gambit for the mind? You guessed it, Franklin-style: Benjamin Franklin was a keen chess enthusiast who believed that playing the game helped to fortify one's mental prowess. He even penned an essay called "The Morals of Chess," which gained quite the popularity and was translated into numerous languages. And no, he harbored no shade towards chess players, embracing their strategic moves in the name of intellect.
Source => founders.archives.gov

25. Age-defying Constitution Signer

Whoever says age is just a number clearly had Benjamin Franklin in mind: The spry, geriatric guru of the founding fathers managed to sign the U.S. Constitution at the ripe old age of 81, all while maintaining a tear-free, steady hand – because he didn't actually cry while signing, contrary to popular myths.
Source => venturacollege.edu