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Benjamin Franklin Timeline

Jan 17, 1706 - Benjamin Franklin was born in Boston, Massachusetts to Josiah and Abiah (Folger) Franklin.

1714 - Invents swim fins to enable him to swim faster.

1715 - Finished formal schooling.

1718 - Worked for his brother James, as a printers apprentice.

1721 - James Franklin starts publishing the Courant.

1722 - Writes the Silence Dogood essays.

1723 - Leaves Boston, and ultimately ends up in Philadelphia, where he works as a printer.

1724 - Moves to London. Was originally there to buy printing equipment, but when promised financing fell through, became employed as a printer.

1725 - Publishes "A Dissertation Upon Liberty and Necessity, Pleasure and Pain," believed to be his first published pamphlet.

July 1726 - Moved back to Philadelphia, becoming employed for his sponsor outside of the printing business.

1728 - Opened a printing business with a partner, Hugh Meredith.

1729 - Purchased the Pennsylvania Gazette and became owner/publisher.

1729 - Writes the Busy Body essays.

1730 - Becomes common law husband to Deborah Read Rogers.

1730 - Buys out his partner to become sole owner of his printing company.

1731 - Founded the first lending library.

December 28, 1732 - Publishes the first edition of Poor Richard's Almanack. The publication continues for 25 years and brings Franklin financial success.

1734 - Became a Grand Master of a Masonic Lodge.

1735 - His brother James dies.

1736 - Became clerk of the Pennsylvania Assembly.

1736 - Founded the Union Fire Company.

1737 - Was appointed the Postmaster of Philadelphia.

1741 - Invented the Pennsylvania Fireplace, later called the Franklin stove.

1742 - Proposed starting the University of Pennsylvania.

1743 - Founds the American Philosophical Society.

1746 - Interest in electricity prompts Franklin to work on several experiments.

1747 - Publishes the first political cartoon, in a pamphlet called The Plain Truth, about the need for military preparedness.

1748 - Joins the Pennsylvania militia as a soldier.

1748 - Retires from the business of printing.

1751 - Franklin publishes a book titled Experiments and Observations on Electricity. By now he has turned most of his considerable energy to his fascination with electricity.

1752 - Conducts an experiment with a kite in a lightning storm, which provides evidence to his theory that lightning is related to electricity.

1752 - Wrote about the unification of the colonies for purposes of defense.

1752 - Founded the first fire insurance company.

1753 - Is appointed joint Deputy Postmaster of the United States.

1754 - At the Albany Conference, Franklin again proposes colonial unification.

1756 - Invents a new type of street lamp.

1757 - 1762 - Ben Franklin's role as a statesman grows as he lives in England as the representative from the Pennsylvania Assembly and several other colonies.

1762 - Returns to Philadelphia.

1762 - Creates a postal map of the colonies.

1766 - Examined in the House of Commons because of his support of the repeal of the Stamp Act.

1774 - In London, is admonished for his role in the "Hutchinson letters affair."

1774 - His wife of 44 years, Deborah, dies while Franklin is in England.

1775 - Is elected as a delegate of Pennsylvania to the second Continental Congress.

1775 - Is elected Postmaster General of the colonies.

1775 - Submits the "Articles of Confederation of United Colonies."

1776 - Serves on the "Committee of Five" who draft the Declaration of Independence.

1776 - Signs the Declaration of Independence.

1776 - Presided over Pennsylvania's Constitutional Convention.

1776 - Leaves for France as a Commissioner of Congress.

1778 - Negotiates the "Treaty of Alliance With France."

1779 - Appointed as Minister to France.

September 27, 1782 - Starts negotiation for peace with Great Britain. Insists on including France in the treaty.

September 3, 1783 - Signed (along with John Adams and John Jay) the Definitive Treaty of Peace between Great Britain and the United States, called the "Paris Peace Treaty," formally ending the American Revolution.

1783 - Invents the bifocal lens.

1784 - Proposes advancing the clock one hour in summer months to provide more daylight.

1787 - Franklin serves as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention.

1787 - Franklin signs the Constitution of the United States.

1787 - 1789 - Elected president of the Pennsylvania Society for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery.

April 17, 1790 - Benjamin Franklin dies in Philadelphia at the age of 84.