Benjamin Franklin
1706-1790 | Boston & Philadelphia
Benjamin Franklin stole lightning from the sky and the sceptre from tyrants. He fused artisan hands with a statesman's mind, printing virtues the way others printed bills. In his ledger of life, curiosity was principal and public spirit the compound interest. He believed knowledge should be as common as daylight and as useful as a stove in winter. From almanacs to empires, his genius was the practical miracle - ideas you could plug into the world.
"Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing."
- Poor Richard's Almanack
"An investment in knowledge pays the best interest."
- Attributed to Franklin
"Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise."
- Poor Richard's Almanack
"Well done is better than well said."
- Poor Richard's Almanack
"Energy and persistence conquer all things."
- Attributed to Franklin