by Mary Tyrer

Created on: August 16, 2008

If ever a man had a legacy Benjamin Franklin definitely left his mark not only in the United states, but he left behind many inventions for the world to enjoy. His inventions have stood the test of time. Of course many have been improved, yet without his ingenuity many of his inventions my not have come to be for many years, if ever. Benjamin Franklin was a private well-spoken genius who loved the ladies, and loved nothing more than tinkering with ideas to discover new ways to improve items, and invent others.

Yes, everyone knows he flew a kite and was struck by lightning, but did you know he had invented some of these items?

In 1717 he invented the first swim fins
In 1750 the first lightning rod
In 1753 he designed the first postal rate chart
In 1757 he designed a 24-hour, three-wheel clock that worked much simpler in its time
In 1784 he designed the first Bifocals

These are but a few of his inventions or designs he is credited. He began a waste management program to keep the streets clear of debris and a way for people to rid themselves of their garbage in 1751. He found in 1752 that lightning existed in storm clouds, hence the kite and the key we are all taught in school. In 1751 he improved streetlights and made them harder for vandals to ruin them.

Franklin was the first, (1747) to use the terms positive and negative when referring to electricity. Anyone who knows anything about electricity knows the terms are still used today. Benjamin Franklin is considered the first political cartoonist in America. He placed his first cartoon in the The Plain Truth in 1747. In 1768 he was the first person to chart the Gulf Stream when he took transatlantic trips to and from London. Franklin was the first person who believed America should observe daylight savings time. In his essay written in 1794, An Economical Project for Diminishing the Cost of Light, he explained how doing so would help the American economy.

These are but a few of Benjamin Franklin's accomplishments. Many of his inventions, observances, and designs are not mentioned. Most people are aware of Benjamin Franklin's contribution to the forming of the United States Government. However, many are not familiar with the many other interests of this great man. Not only was he a great inventor, a wonderful writer, he was a humanitarian. Benjamin Franklin was a man before his time, and a gentle soul who was not comfortable being in the limelight. However, this simple man gave so much of his talent to the world around him and asked for little or nothing in return.

Benjamin Franklin's Legacy Of Inventions, (1998-2008), Fact Sheet Discoveries And
Observations, Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation Retrieved August 13, 2008
http://www.gophila.com/Go/PressRoom/pressreleases/be n300/Benjamin_Franklins

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