Benjamin Franklin was perhaps the world’s greatest scientist, inventor, printer, and statesman. He helped draft the Declaration of Independence in 1776, the Constitution in 1787, the Treaty of Alliance with France in 1778, and the Treaty of Peace between England, France, and the United States in 1782. He was the only founding father to sign all four of these important documents. He also published the Poor Richard’s Almanac in 1773. Ben’s goal was to make the almanac entertaining and useful. He accomplished this by adding proverbs and anecdotes many of which he wrote himself. Evidently, the almanac was a success because it sold over ten thousand copies a year. When he published his final almanac, retitled “The Way to Wealth,” it was carried throughout the world in seven languages, spreading his wisdom to millions of people.

          Ben invented the Franklin stove. Ben wanted to make a stove that was less dangerous and didn’t use a lot of wood. He later went on to establish the first fire and insurance companies to protect people’s properties from loss. He also went on to develop the world’s first libraries, universities, and hospitals.   In 1785, he invented bifocal eyeglasses or, as he called them, double spectacles. Ben also invented a musical instrument called the glass armonica in the 1760s.

            Although Ben went through some challenges in his lifetime, the most difficult challenge he faced was on February 13, 1766. That day, he appeared before the House of Commons dealing with “taxation without representation.” He was asked a series of one hundred seventy-four questions in a period of two hours. Later, the Stamp Act was repealed and he received much of the credit.

           One of the most important accomplishments Ben made in his life was the development of the principles of electricity. Ben’s idea was if he tied a metal wire to the top of a kite and a brass key to the bottom, it would conduct electricity through the string by lightning. Amazingly, his experiment worked and some people credit it as one of his most important discoveries.

            The lightning rod was one of the most important symbols associated with Ben Franklin. His technique was to install a thin iron bar three or four feet below the ground, with the other end six or eight feet above the highest point of the building. This device became known as the lightning rod. Ben installed the world’s first lightning rod in Philadelphia in 1752.