Members of the Franklin Square Historical Society, Betty McIsiaac and Glenville Rogers Jr., also attended the ceremony. On January 17 th, the Colonel Aaron Ogden Chapter of the National Society, Daughters of the American Revolution, conducted a wreath laying ceremony to honor the 300 th birthday of American patriot Benjamin Franklin. The ceremony took place at the statue of Benjamin Franklin located at the corner of Old Country Road and Glen Cove Road.

America was blessed at its beginnings to have Founding Fathers who were men of exceptional character, strength and vision. Among those men was Benjamin Franklin.

Benjamin Franklin was a man of exceptional energy, curiosity and inventiveness, whose accomplishments are well known. Born in 1706, Franklin was the 15 th child born to his parents. He began his life as a printer apprenticed to his older brothers. He chaffed at the lack of opportunity to become his own man and express his own feelings. In spite of the popular reception of his anonymously published “Silence Dogood” letters, Franklin’s brother did not approve of his writing. striking out on his own, he made his way to Philadelphia, establishing his own newspaper.

Members of the Colonel Aaron Ogden Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, braved snowy weather to honor Benjamin Franklin with a wreath laying ceremony on January 17, Franklin’s 300 Franklin was in various turns an author, inventor and diplomat. Franklin is well known for his writing of Poor Richard’s almanac, a collection of folksy information and pithy, witty sayings, which were to become ingrained in the American consciousness, even to this day: “A penny saved is a penny earned.” “A stitch in time saves nine.” and others too numerous to mention.

He invented the Franklin Stove and the lightning rod, fabulous advances for the period in which he lived. He discovered the uses of vitamin C, and based on his research, the British Navy mandated citrus fruit for their sailors to ward off scurvy. Hence the development of their eventual nickname of “limeys,” from their habit of consuming limes. He established a fire brigade and a lending library, the first organizations of their kind, and again, developments which aided in the improvement of the general population. At times he refused to accept patents on his inventions, preferring to allow their unencumbered use for the common good.

The Daughters of the American Revolution honored Ben Franklin at the foot of his statue, located at the corner of Old Country Road and Clinton Avenue He traveled so much between North America and Europe in his role as a diplomat, that an ever curious Franklin became the first person to map the flow of the Gulf Stream. As a diplomat, Franklin was especially effective in encouraging French support of American Independence during the Revolution. Wearing a raccoon hat and presenting his genial, unvarnished self to Europe, he became for centuries to come their image of what an American was: plain spoken, straight forward and shrewd.

At home, Franklin worked during the Continental congress to represent Pennsylvania and support presentation of the Declaration of Independence. “If we do not hang together,” he assured his fellow representatives in the Congress, “we shall most assuredly hang separately.” And he encouraged Thomas Paine to write his pamphlet “Common Sense,” which helped stir the American decision for independence.

Franklin’s support of freedom and independence did not come without a personal price. His beloved wife Deborah died while he was far from home on a mission to Europe for this country. And he was permanently estranged from his son William at one time the Royal Governor of New Jersey. Their opposite views of freedom and independence could never be reconciled, and created a lifelong breach between them. Certainly, Franklin was a man of character who let nothing stand in the way of freedom...freedom of the mind, the person and the soul. In testament of this, he was, it should be noted, the founder of the first abolitionist society in America.

Franklin died in 1790 at the age of 84 and after a lifetime of improving the human condition. his life ended much too soon for his countrymen, who mourned the loss of his genius, wit and patriotism.

th birthday.