There are many people who have achieved many great accomplishments, but there are few who can measure up to the many contributions of Benjamin Franklin. Without a doubt Franklin was one of the most talented men to ever live. He was a man of great vision, but most likely he had no idea of the impact that he would have on the entire world.
It was said that Franklin was proud to call himself a printer, but he was also a great diplomat, a public servant, a philosopher, and an educator. Franklin had very little formal education. He attended school for only two years, but his works as a scientist and inventor would rival that of any genius.
Throughout his lifetime Franklin kept himself busy with his many inventions. One of his most practical inventions was the Franklin stove. Realizing the need for something better to heat with than a drafty old fireplace, sometime around 1740, he came up with the idea of creating a stove. The stove stood in the fireplace, but it had a grate that extended out into the room thus producing a more even warmth in all directions. Franklin wanted his invention to be made as cheaply as possible so that many people could afford them. He was urged to patent his stove, but he never did. As a matter of fact he never patented any of his inventions.
Franklin was an early pioneer in the studies of heat conduction and the origin of storms. His work with electricity amazed scientists throughout the world. Most every school child has heard the story of his experiment with lightning, a kite, and a key. With this simple experiment, Franklin was able to prove that electricity existed in storm clouds. In 1752 during a thunderstorm, he stood in a shed holding a key that was attached to a kite string. The electricity from the storm clouds traveled down the wet string and produced a spark between his knuckle and the key thus proving his theory that lightning must be a discharge of electricity from the clouds....