WORLD HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -One of the leading figures of early American history, Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) was a statesman, author, publisher, scientist, inventor and diplomat. Born into a Boston family of modest means, Franklin had little formal education. He went on to start a successful printing business in Philadelphia and grew wealthy.

Detailed explanation-2: -Franklin published newspapers, almanacs, and pamphlets at his own risk quite often, but only rarely did he publish a book, because of the greater investment in paper and binding that books entailed.

Detailed explanation-3: -One of the foremost of the Founding Fathers, he helped draft the Declaration of Independence and was one of its signers, he represented the United States in France during the American Revolution, and he was a delegate to the Constitutional Convention.

Detailed explanation-4: -One of his most famous inventions comes in the form of glasses: the bifocals. At the time, people used separate glasses for reading and for distance so what Franklin did was cut the lenses from these two sets of glasses in half and adhere them.

Detailed explanation-5: -Franklin became a successful newspaper editor and printer in Philadelphia, the leading city in the colonies, publishing the Pennsylvania Gazette at age 23.