Benjamin Franklin Dies: America's First Renaissance Man
Benjamin Franklin flew a kite in a thunderstorm at 46 to prove lightning was electrical, then gave away the lightning rod design for free. He was also the first Postmaster General of the United States, the diplomat to France who secured the alliance that won the Revolution, and a printer and journalist with no formal education past age ten. Died April 17, 1790, in Philadelphia, at 84.
April 17, 1790
236 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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