Ben Facts
Being an avid swimmer, Franklin was noted for inventing swimming fins as a youth. The fins were shaped like an artists palette and were also worn on the hands.
- Franklin had two birthdays. His birth certificate stated he was born on January 6, 1706 but on September 2, 1752 the British colonies changed to a different calendar. At midnight on September 2, 1752 it legally became September 14 and Franklin's new birthday became January 17. Some of this reasoning is how we came up with the leap year concept.
- In a letter to his daughter Sarah, Franklin mentioned that the turkey should be the national bird. He thought the turkey was a more respectable bird and were more native to the United States.
- His actual picture has been on every $100 bill minted since 1928
- He crossed the Atlantic Ocean eight times in his life with all of his travels
- He taught himself five languages: French, Italian, Latin, German and and Spanish
