Benjamin Franklin was born in Boston in 1706. Being 1 of 17 children, everything he had in life was earned.
Before his success, at the age of 15, Ben was an apprentice to his brother, James. He worked for his Newspaper the "New England Courant" which was the first paper in Boston. Through his time working there, he gained a lot of real world knowledge and experience, and eventually started his own newspaper, the "Pennsylvania Gazette", which he printed and wrote in. Franklin set the standard in his time that has carried on to today for being a self-made man and that its why he is widely considered to be the "first" self made man. His daily habits and strategies of self-actualization are extremely similar to what successful entrepreneurs do today, and he is commonly known as the model of American ingenuity. Below are some of his inventions, including bifcoals, the odometer, the glass harmonica, and the stove.
Before his success, at the age of 15, Ben was an apprentice to his brother, James. He worked for his Newspaper the "New England Courant" which was the first paper in Boston. Through his time working there, he gained a lot of real world knowledge and experience, and eventually started his own newspaper, the "Pennsylvania Gazette", which he printed and wrote in. Franklin set the standard in his time that has carried on to today for being a self-made man and that its why he is widely considered to be the "first" self made man. His daily habits and strategies of self-actualization are extremely similar to what successful entrepreneurs do today, and he is commonly known as the model of American ingenuity. Below are some of his inventions, including bifcoals, the odometer, the glass harmonica, and the stove.
Ben was well-known for wearing his bifocals. Many articles tell that he was unable to read anything without them. Being the brilliant mind he was, he made his own solution, and made a lot of money off of it.
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The odometer is another of his inventions that still has a significant impact on the world today. Near every vehicle is equipped with one, and though they look very different from the original design, Franklin's model set the standard.
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The glass harmonica, still played quite commonly in areas around Rome, is another of Franklin's inventions. It may not be as significant as others of his, but it illustrates (again) how far his creative mind could stretch.
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The stove, something we take for granted today, would not exist had it not been for Benjamin Franklin. With the brilliant design, allowing the smoke and gases created to exit through the chimney, Franklin made a huge mark on the future of household appliances.
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1. Martin, David. "Benjamin Franklin." Library of Congress, 1962, www.loc.gov/
pictures/item/95505057/.
2. Swans burg, John. "The Self-Made Man." Slate, 29 Sept. 2014, www.slate.com/
articles/news_and_politics/history/2014/09/
the_self_made_man_history_of_a_myth_from_ben_franklin_to_andrew_carnegie.html.
Accessed 18 Nov. 2016. Significant Self-Made Men.
pictures/item/95505057/.
2. Swans burg, John. "The Self-Made Man." Slate, 29 Sept. 2014, www.slate.com/
articles/news_and_politics/history/2014/09/
the_self_made_man_history_of_a_myth_from_ben_franklin_to_andrew_carnegie.html.
Accessed 18 Nov. 2016. Significant Self-Made Men.