Born in Boston to Abiah Folger Franklin and Josiah Franklin.

Studies at Boston Grammar (Boston Latin) School for "not quite one year" (age 8); attends George Brownell's English school for another year. Reads in his father's library.

Apprenticed to his brother James, a printer. Writes ballads; reads The Spectator, Xenophon, Shaftesbury.

Writes for James's The New England Courant, including "Silence Dogood" papers.

Flees from his brother and his apprenticeship, arriving in Philadelphia October 6.

In London: works as a printer; reads and debates with other workers.

Returns to Philadelphia and works as a clerk for Thomas Denham, Quaker merchant.

After his own illness and that of Denham, returns to printing. Forms Junto, "a Club for Mutual Improvement," with other young tradesmen.

Named official printer for Pennsylvania colony. Begins to study French and German. Common-law marriage to Deborah Read.

Forms plan for Library Company.

Prints first issue of Poor Richard's Almanac; also prints a short-lived German newspaper, Philadelphische Zeitung.

Arrival of George Whitefield to preach in Philadelphia. Franklin forges a friendship and prints his journals.

Prints A Proposal for Promoting Useful Knowledge, founding American Philosophical Society. Claims to have first conceived idea for an Academy in this year.

Performs first electrical experiments.

Forms partnership with David Hall and retires from active participation in printing business. Moves to a new house and acquires a slave.

Writes notes on electricity for Ebenezer Kinnersley, who demonstrates Franklin's lightning rod experiments. Writes and prints Proposals Relating to the Education of Youth in Pensilvania.

Opening of Academy of Philadelphia.Publication of Franklin's Idea of the English School.

Works to form a plan of union among colonies and to organize militias along the Pennsylvania frontier.

Named by Pennsylvania Assembly to serve as agent in England for negotiating disputes with the Proprietors. Last Franklin-authored Poor Richard's Almanac, for 1758, contains "Father Abraham's Speech," later called "The Way to Wealth".

Joins with the Associates of Dr. Bray in planning for the education of blacks in the American colonies.

Receives an honorary Doctor of Laws from University of St. Andrews, Scotland; afterwards known as "Dr. Franklin".

Returns to Philadelphia. Visits a school for blacks in Philadelphia sponsored by the Associates of Dr. Bray.

Elected speaker of Pennsylvania Assembly in May, but defeated for reelection in October due to accusations of corruption and anti-German prejudice. Returns to London as Assembly's agent.

Colonies protest against Stamp Act, which Franklin is accused of supporting

Devises a phonetic alphabet and uses it in letters he writes.

Fails in negotiations to calm growing rupture between colonies and Britain. Death of Deborah Franklin.

Returns to Philadelphia and is chosen delegate to the Second Continental Congress.

Leaves Philadelphia for France to negotiate French aid for the American cause.

Articles of peace with Britain signed by Franklin and John Adams.

Returns to Philadelphia; elected President of the Supreme Executive Council of Pennsylvania.

Named President of Pennsylvania Society for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery.

Named President of reorganized Board of Trustees of the College of Philadelphia, which meets at his home.

Dies April 17.