Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin had a great imagination. He was always coming up with unique ideas. He invented swimming paddles to help him swim better when he was just a boy. He started school when he was eight years old. He was excellent in reading, but did poorly in math.
Benjamin was born in Boston, Massachusetts on January 17, 1706. He was one of seventeen. He wanted to be a minister when he grew up. Franklin, knew how to think for himself, though. He was pulled out of school at ten to work in his fathers' soap and candle shop. He hated it there and wanted to learn.
He found out later that he was great in poetry and writing books. He wrote newspapers and books from then and on. His articles were printed from his brothers printing shop. They made a great team.
When he was seventeen he met Deborah Read who married him in 1730. They had three children name William, Francis, and Sarah. Bens' job continued to be newspaper articles and by now every one in the city loved and looked forward to his work.
At forty -two Ben was a rich and healthy man. Later, he started the Franklin stove which saved fuel and heated better. He also invented a long arm to reach books on a high shelf and bifocal glasses. Another one of his clever things was a lightning rod which prevented houses from being burned. But, his favorite and most used inventions of course was electricity. It fascinated him and he was amazed. This was the first time the world had seen electricity. In 1765 he went to England to speak and the English House of Commons. He helped convince them that paying taxes was not fair and that Thomas Jefferson was right that each person is equal. When he arrived back to America, he was asked to help write the Declaration of Independence.
When America won its' independence Franklin was considered a hero. People thought of him as a genius and a very clever man. Although he died at eight four, many people today still honor Benjamin Franklin.