American scientist and statesman

Before serving his fledgling country during time of revolution, Benjamin Franklin also achieved international recognition for his scientific acumen, especially in his experimentation with electricity.

Born in the British colony of Boston, Massachusetts, Franklin was the fifteenth of seventeen 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 ten, 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.

In addition to his pursuit of printing...