From earthquakes and volcanic eruptions to drought, frequent typhoons, and floods
It is common knowledge that Benjamin Franklin (1706-90) wore many different hats over the course of his lifetime. Indeed, at various points he was a writer, scientist, inventor, statesmen, diplomat, printer, publisher, and political thinker.
Peek behind the curtain, however, and it becomes clear that the Founding Father led a life that was even more varied than it first may seem. Did you know, for example, that he was an avid swimmer?
Check out this gallery for some more fun facts about Benjamin Franklin.
Despite often being referred to as the "most brilliant American of his age," Benjamin Franklin had little formal education. In fact, he only went to school for two years.
By the age of 12, the young Benjamin Franklin had already started working as an indentured apprentice at a printing shop owned by his brother, James.
Throughout his lifetime, the esteemed Founding Father compensated for his lack of education by spending his hard-earned money on books to read.
When his brother founded a weekly newspaper called the New England Courant in the 1720s, 16-year-old Benjamin Franklin secretly started submitting essays.
He published under the name of Silence Dogood, a fictitious widow whose publications offered commentary on various topics from fashion to religion.
The essays went down very well with the newspaper's readers, much to the chagrin of young Benjamin's jealous older brother. He published a total of 14 essays before revealing himself as the author.
When Benjamin Franklin arrived in Philadelphia from Boston in 1723, he was broke. However, over the next two decades, he became very wealthy, largely thanks to the success of his print shop.
By 1748, the 42-year-old Benjamin Franklin had amassed enough wealth that he was able to retire and become a 'gentleman of leisure.'
He spent the next 42 years of his life studying science and coming up with ideas for inventions, such as the lightning rod and bifocal glasses.
Of all Benjamin Franklin's inventions, perhaps the strangest was the 'glass harmonica' - an instrument designed to replicate the sound a wet finger makes on the rim of a glass.
He made the original prototype in 1761 by mounting 37 glass orbs of different sizes and pitches onto a spindle. He then controlled the spindle with a foot pedal.
To play the unusual instrument, all that was needed was a wet finger. Thousands of these instruments were manufactured and famous composers such as Mozart wrote music for them.
Of all the Founding Fathers, Benjamin Franklin was one of the last to come out in favor of full separation from Britain.
He had lived in London for several years and held various royal appointments. This meant he was keen for a peaceful compromise and the preservation of the empire.
In fact, when the events of the Boston Tea Party unfolded in 1773, he described them as an act of "violent injustice" and called for the East India Company to be compensated for its losses.
In 1768, while living in London, Benjamin Franklin became annoyed by the inconsistencies in English spelling. He therefore embarked upon a project to create a new alphabet.
His new phonetic system got rid of the supposedly redundant consonants; C, J, Q, W, X, and Y. At the same time, he added six new letters.
He unveiled his plan for the new alphabet in 1779, however, he quickly scrapped the project when it failed to arouse sufficient public interest.
Benjamin Franklin had two children with his wife, Deborah Read. However, he also fathered an illegitimate son called William, who was born around 1730.
In the early days, the two were close friends and partners. William helped his father with his famous kite experiment, for example.
However, the pair had a huge falling out over the American Revolution. William was a British loyalist, and his father apparently never forgave him for "taking up arms against him."
In 1776, the Continental Congress sent Benjamin Franklin to France in search of military aid for the revolution. Once there, his fame reached new levels.
Already well-known among the French, Franklin leaned into the American's reputation for being rustic: he dressed plainly and wore a fur hat.
This look soon became his trademark in France, and the women even took to copying the look by wearing oversized wigs they called "coiffure a la Franklin."
When Benjamin Franklin died in 1790, he left 2,000 pounds sterling to his birthplace, Boston, and to his adopted home, Philadelphia.
However, he specified that for the first 100 years after his death, the money was to be held in a trust and used only to provide loans to local tradesmen.
Another portion would remain off-limits for another 100 years until, eventually, the cities were able to spend the money as they saw fit.
Last but not least, one thing that many people don't know about Benjamin Franklin is that he was a very keen swimmer.
In fact, one of his earliest inventions was a set of wooden paddles that he used to propel himself across the Charles River in his hometown of Boston.
Later, when he was living in London, one of Franklin's friends was so impressed by his swimming prowess that he offered to help him open a pool.
Sources: (On This Day) (History)
See also: Scientists who warned about the dangers of their own discoveries
Surprising facts about Benjamin Franklin
Fun facts about this Founding Father
LIFESTYLE History
It is common knowledge that Benjamin Franklin (1706-90) wore many different hats over the course of his lifetime. Indeed, at various points he was a writer, scientist, inventor, statesmen, diplomat, printer, publisher, and political thinker.
Peek behind the curtain, however, and it becomes clear that the Founding Father led a life that was even more varied than it first may seem. Did you know, for example, that he was an avid swimmer?
Check out this gallery for some more fun facts about Benjamin Franklin.