The Personal Website of Mark W. Dawson

Chronological Events in the Life of Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin’s life spans one of the most important periods of American history. As such, I thought it world be informative to present a timeline of the events of his life, along with some images from the important events in his life. This timeline was extracted from the Benjamin Franklin History website where you can discover many other aspects of his life.

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.

Charted the Gulf Stream.

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

Franklin returns to Philadelphia from London

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 10 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: