Fact Sheet

Benjamin Franklin's Legacy Of Inventions, Discoveries And Observations

Inventor. Diplomat. Scientist. Entrepreneur. Catalyst. Benjamin Franklin was quite a busy man. In his 84 years, he invented, discovered and improved many of the devices and civic institutions that people rely on today. Here's a look:

He invented:

• Swim fins (1717)
• Franklin/Pennsylvania stove (1741)
• Lightning rod (1750)
• Flexible catheter (1752)
• 24-hour, three-wheel clock that was much simpler than other designs of the day (1757)
• Glass armonica, a simple musical instrument made of spinning glass (1762)
• Bifocals (1784)
• Long arm (extension arm) to reach high books (1786)

He discovered:

• Ways to keep streets cleaner and deal with waste management (1751)
• That electricity existed in storm clouds, in the form of lightning (1752)

 He founded and co-founded:

• America's first learned society, American Philosophical Society (1727)
• America's first circulating library, The Library Company of Philadelphia (1731)
• America's first volunteer fire department, Union Fire Company (1736)
• America's first liberal arts academy, Pennsylvania Academy & College, now the University of Pennsylvania (1751)
• America's first public hospital, Pennsylvania Hospital (1751)
• America's first mutual insurance company, The Philadelphia Contributionship (1752)

 He suggested:

• Colonies join together in a federation, The Albany Plan (1754)
• The concept of Daylight Savings Time in the essay An Economical Project for Diminishing the Cost of Light (1784)

He improved :

• Street lamps so they gave more light and would not be so easily vandalized (1751)

 He observed:

• That storms can move in an opposite direction from the direction of the wind and proposed one of the first correct explanations for storm movement in the northern hemisphere (1743)
• That prolonged exposure to lead would cause sickness (1768)

He surmised:

• That the common cold was passed from person to person through indoor air (1773)

He designed:

• Rate chart used by postmasters (1753)

He was first to:

• Use the words "positive" and "negative" to describe electricity (1747)
• Create a political cartoon in America, published in The Plain Truth (1747)
• Chart the Gulf Stream on his transatlantic trips to and from London (1768)
• Serve as Ambassador of the United States (1776)
• Introduce the colonists to Scotch kale, Swiss barley, Chinese rhubarb and kohlrabi

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Ben Franklin 300 Philadelphia is a year-long celebration of Benjamin Franklin's 300th birthday, coordinated and marketed by the Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary, the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation, the National Constitution Center and CBS 3. Festivities will run from fall 2005 through 2006 and will focus on the world premiere of the international traveling exhibition, Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World at the National Constitution Center. The Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary, a non-profit organization, is supported by a lead grant of $4 million from The Pew Charitable Trusts and established to reaffirm Franklin's enduring legacy in his 300th birthday year. The Tercentenary was founded in 2000 by the American Philosophical Society, The Franklin Institute, the Library Company of Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the University of Pennsylvania. For more information about the exhibition, related programs and traveling to Philadelphia, visit www.gophila.com/ben.

CONTACT:

Cara Schneider, GPTMC
(215) 599-0789, cara@gptmc.com

Cheri LaSpada, Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary
(215) 790-7825, cheri@alta247.com