1) Benjamin Franklin was an American inventor, writer, and politician who lived from 1706 to 1790. He made many important contributions including inventing bifocals and the lightning rod.
2) As a young man, Franklin worked as a printer and published a newspaper. He later served as a postmaster and was elected to the Pennsylvania assembly.
3) Franklin played a major role in the American Revolution and was a signer of both the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. He also established the first public library and fire department in the United States.