Chronological events in the life of Benjamin Franklin
1706
Sunday January 17: Benjamin Franklin was born in the City of Boston. His parents were Josiah Franklin and Abiah Folger.
1714-1715
Attended South Grammar School (Boston Latin).
1715-1716
Attended George Brownell’s English School.
1717
Franklin was briefly indentured as a cutler.
As an avid swimmer Franklin invented swim fins for his hands.
1718
At age 12 started apprenticeship as a printer in his older brother, James, printing shop.
1720
Moved out of his home into a boarding house.
1721
Brother James started publishing The New England Courant, the first American newspaper to use literary content and humorous essays.
1722
Franklin published his first letter in the Courant under the pen name of “Silence Dogood”, a fictional widow of a country minister who has strong opinions.
He became a vegetarian.
1723
His brother James was charged with contempt against law authorities. Benjamin took over the printing business while James served time in jail.
Leaved Boston for New York where he failed to find employment. He proceeded to Philadelphia where he rented a room in John Read’s house. Franklin eventually married his daughter Deborah Read in 1730.
In Philadelphia he found work as a printer with Samuel Keimer.
1724
Benjamin returned to Boston to open a printing shop but his father did not loan him the money.
Returned to Philadelphia and under the encouragement of Provincial Pennsylvania Governor William Keith traveled to London to buy printing equipment. His loan never materialized and was unable to travel back to America.
In London he was employed by printers Samuel Palmer and John Watts.
1725
Published his first pamphlet in London “A Dissertation on Liberty & Necessity, Pleasure and Pain”.
1726
Franklin returned to Philadelphia with a loan provided by Thomas Denham. To pay his debt he worked as a clerk, shopkeeper and bookkeeper in Denham’s imported goods store.
He returned to work for Samuel Keimer printing shop.
1727
Suffered his first pleurisy attack.
In Philadelphia Franklin founded the Junto Club, a group of young men who met on Friday evenings to discuss intellectual, personal, business and community topics. The Junto Club lasted until 1765.
1728
Franklin and Hugh Meredith opened their own printing shop with a loan from Meredith’s father.
1729
Purchased the Pennsylvania Gazette from former employer Samuel Keimer. The Gazette became one of the most prominent publications in Colonial America.
1730
Elected the official government printer for Pennsylvania.
Franklin bought Meredith’s share in the printing shop and became the sole owner.
Joined in common-law marriage with Deborah Read.
William Franklin is born out of wedlock to an unidentified mother.
1731
Franklin joined the Freemasons
Published “Apology for Printers” defending freedom of the press.
Entered a partnership with Thomas Whitmarsh in South Carolina. Franklin provided printing equipment in return for one third of the profits over six years, creating the first commercial franchise.
1732
Benjamin Franklin and Deborah Read have their first child, Francis Folger Franklin.
Published the first edition of Poor Richard’s Almanack under the pseudonym “Richard Saunders”. It became an instant best seller in the colonies.
1734
Elected Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Mason of Pennsylvania.
1735
Brother James died in Newport, Rhode Island.
1736
Franklin was appointed clerk of the Pennsylvania Assembly.
His son, Francis Folger, died of smallpox at age 4.
Helped organize the Union Fire Company of Philadelphia which trained and organized firemen.
1737
Appointed Postmaster of Philadelphia, his service continued until 1753.
1739
Started campaign to clean Philadelphia’s docks, slaughter houses and tan yards.
1740
Became the official printer for New Jersey.
1741
Advertised his first model of the Pennsylvania fireplace for sale, also known as the Franklin Stove. He declined on principle on taking a patent for the sole right to sell it.
1743
Benjamin Franklin and Deborah Read had a daughter, Sarah who they call “Sally”.
1745
Benjamin’s father, Josiah Franklin, died at age 87.
Started electrical experiments after receiving an electric tube from Peter Collision.
1747
Helped organize a volunteer militia.
1748
Took David Hall as partner and Franklin retired from the daily operations of his printing business.
1749
Wrote and published pamphlet “Proposals Relating to the Education of Youth in Pennsylvania”.
Helped organize the Academy of Philadelphia which later became the University of Pennsylvania.
1750
Franklin had first gout attack.
1751
Franklin, along with Dr. Thomas Bond, founded Pennsylvania Hospital, the nation’s first hospital, to care for the “sick-poor and insane of Philadelphia”.
1752
Abiah Folger, Franklin’s mother dies in Boston at age 84.
Conducted kite experiments by flying a kite in a thunderstorm proving that lightning is electrical. He published how to conduct the experiment in the Pennsylvania Gazette.
Designed a flexible catheter for his brother who suffered from bladder stone.
1753
Appointed joint Deputy Postmaster General of the Colonies.
1754
To make a point about their own defense and colonial unity with the British against the French and Indians, Franklin printed his famous cartoon “Join, or Die” in the Pennsylvania Gazette. A decade later the cartoon would mean colonial unity against the British.
Attended the Albany Congress as representative of Pennsylvania proposing common defense for all colonies. The plan was rejected.
1757
Franklin was elected to go to England as a colonial agent.
1762
Awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Law from Oxford University.
Invented the glass armonica. Mozart and Beethoven later composed for it.
Mapped postal routes in the colonies.
1764
Franklin lost his seat in the Pennsylvania Assembly.
Returned to London as colonial agent.
1765
The Stamp Act was passed by the House of Commons.
1766
At the expiry of his partnership with David Hall, Franklin sold his entire printing business to him.
1767
Daughter Sarah married Richard Bache, a Philadelphia merchant.
1769
The American Philosophical Society elected Franklin as its president. He was elected every year until his death.
1771
Began writing his autobiography.
1773
Hutchinson Affair.
1774
Deborah Read, his wife, died in Philadelphia.
1775
Elected as Pennsylvania delegate to the Second Continental Congress.
Elected as Postmaster General of the Colonies.
King George III declared the American colonies in rebellion.
1776
Franklin was appointed as part of the committee of 5 who drafted the Declaration of Independence.
Appointed to the French Court as one of the commissioners of the Continental Congress.
1778
Negotiated Treaty of Alliance with France. France declared war on Great Britain.
1783
John Adams, John Jay and Benjamin Franklin signed the Treaty of Paris which put an end to the war between the colonies and Great Britain.
1784
Franklin wrote the essay “An Economical Project for Diminishing the Cost of Light” proposing the innovative concept of Daylight Savings Time.
1785
Franklin described his invention of bifocal glasses.
Returned to the United States after 18 of years of service in Europe.
Elected President of the Pennsylvania Executive Council.
1786
Invented instrument for taking books down from a library shelf.
1787
Signed the United States Constitution.
1788
Franklin wrote his will leaving most of his estate to his daughter Sarah.
1789
Elected president of the Pennsylvania Society for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery.
Submitted the first antislavery petition before the U.S. Congress.
1790
April 17 – Franklin died at age 84. He is buried in Christ Church burial ground in Philadelphia. The cause of his death was pleurisy.