Popular on Variety “Franklin” tells the story of how Benjamin Franklin, best known at the time as an inventor, travels to France in December 1776 on a secret mission.

Benjamin Franklin stumbled across the phenomenon in 1736 when serving as clerk to the Pennsylvania Assembly. A powerful new member of the assembly, “a gentleman of fortune, and education ...

Franklin’s time was as divided as ours, if not more so. Yet he made it a point to befriend those with whom he disagreed vehemently, for you never know what might emerge from such encounters.

Benjamin Franklin flew a kite in a storm and advanced humanity's understanding of electricity on this day in history, June 10, 1752. Franklin was also a U.S. statesman and founding father.

Benjamin Franklin's iconic 1754 'Join or Die' snake cartoon, symbolizing the importance of unity, offers timeless lessons for healing America's divisions in the Trump era.

Franklin ‘s mission, undertaken with no official governmental mandate, was to enlist France’s support — money, supplies, ships and soldiers — in the burgeoning war for American independence.

Franklin was a strong advocate of paper currency from the start. For instance, in 1736, he printed a new currency for New Jersey, a service he also provided for Pennsylvania and Delaware.

Currency printed by Franklin and his partner David Hall and later by the firm of Hall and William Sellers. Soon after establishing himself as an independent printer, Benjamin Franklin was awarded ...

Benjamin Franklin finally agreed to meet his son in Southampton, England, in 1785. Yet when William arrived at the meeting place, any hope for a rehabilitation of their special bond was dashed.

Some 30 years ago, she spotted an annotation scribbled in brown ink on the back of the letter from Franklin’s banker. It looks like an itinerary. “Sunday, 6 — Philadelphia.” Notes made by Benjamin ...