Intrepid rabbit trail hiker that I am, it was probably inevitable that I would post something about Benjamin Franklin, because of his wide-ranging interests and how he has had an effect even on modern life.
Of all the busts and paintings of Franklin, I like this one the most because it’s so realistic he looks like he’s just about to speak. (Except he does look a little pale. Yo, Ben, need some iron?) It’s by Jean Antoine Houdon, a French artist who captured the likenesses of quite a few early American leaders. There’s a nice article on the website of The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Houdon met Franklin while he was in Paris as U. S. French Ambassador from 1776–85. This was only one of his many roles and accomplishments. He is called a polymath, who is a person who has learned many things in a wide variety of subjects. You can read more about polymaths here.
Discoveries and Inventions
Electricity - Franklin was the first to speculate about the positive and negative charges of electricity. He flew a kite in a thunderstorm to prove his findings. Don’t try this at home.
Gulf Stream Map - The Gulf Stream is a stong Atlantic ocean current that begins in the Gulf of Mexico, flows up the eastern U. S. coast, then veers toward Northwest Europe as the North Atlantic Current. After Franklin became interested in it, he and his cousin published the first chart of the current.
Lightning Rod - Although the very first lightning rod was invented by the Czech priest and scientist Prokop Divis in 1754, Franklin was unaware of his work, and independently created his own design that was (and still is) much used in North America and beyond.
Odometer - Franklin was our first Postmaster General in 1775, when he decided to analyze the best mail delivery routes. He invented a simple odometer that was attached to a carriage to measure mileage.
Meteorology - Franklin was one of the first people to surmise the existence of high and low pressure systems in our atmosphere, and how they affect weather.
Music - In 1761 Franklin invented the glass armonica (name from armonia, the Italian word for harmony). It is made from blown glass bowls kept wet, and played with the fingers as one might elicit a tone from the edge of a wine glass.