Born on January 17, 1706, in the British colony of Boston, Massachusetts, Franklin was the fifteenth of 17 children. His father was an impoverished candlemaker, unable to afford to send young Benjamin to school. As a result, he received only two years of formal education. Franklin was working in his father's shop at the age of 10, and later was apprenticed to his brother, a printer, where he developed a love for books. In 1724 he went to London where he became skilled at printing, returning to Philadelphia two years later. In Philadelphia he made a name for himself, as well as a small fortune, publishing the Pennsylvania Gazette and Poor Richard's Almanack.

Franklin's first major invention, around 1740, was the Pennsylvania fireplace, which eventually became known as the Franklin stove. Improving on an existing design, the Franklin stove had a flue around which room air could circulate. The flue acted like a radiator...