Voting Station

Benjamin Franklin

Please vote to return to collections.

Patriot

The Resume

    (January 17, 1706-April 17, 1790)
    Invented bifocals
    Invented a smoke reducing stove and lightning rod
    Was the American colonies representative to England (1757-1762)
    Began the 'Saturday Evening Post' and 'Poor Richard's Almanac'
    Inventor/Diplomat/Scientist/Printer/Philosopher/Postmaster General

Why he might be annoying:

    He was a vegetarian.
    He almost got electrocuted when he flew a kite with a metal key on it to attract lightning and prove it contained electricity (1752).
    Despite being born in Boston, it is Philadelphia that honors him.
    At 17 years old, he left Boston for Philadelphia because he constantly feuded with his boss (his brother, James).
    He failed mathematics.

Why he might not be annoying:

    He was left handed.
    He wrote 'Poor Richard's Almanac' including many witticisms.
    He established the first fire department and one of the first libraries in America.
    He is depicted on the first US Stamps (1847).
    His face appears on the $100 bill.
    He had 16 brothers and sisters.
    His family was poor, so Franklin had to cut his formal education short to work.
    He was an avid reader.
    He wrote 'Early to bed, early to rise. Makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.'
    He wrote 'Three may keep a secret if two of them are dead.'
    He wrote 'A Penny saved is a penny earned.'
    He wrote 'An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure.'
    He wrote 'Fish and visitors smell in three days.'
    He invented daylight savings time.
    He helped write and signed the 'Declaration of Independence' (1776).
    He listed these as virtues to live by 'temperance, silence, industry, justice, humility, moderation, chastity, cleanliness, sincerity, resolution, order and silence.'

Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 6 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2023, Out of 506 Votes: 46.44% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 218 Votes: 43.58% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 118 Votes: 49.15% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 77 Votes: 46.75% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 105 Votes: 49.52% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 505 Votes: 51.09% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 1261 Votes: 46.23% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 634 Votes: 59.15% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 1106 Votes: 52.80% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 469 Votes: 50.32% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 390 Votes: 49.23% Annoying
    In 2012, Out of 461 Votes: 49.67% Annoying
    In 2011, Out of 577 Votes: 46.27% Annoying
    In 2010, Out of 409 Votes: 53.55% Annoying
    In 2009, Out of 2244 Votes: 33.96% Annoying
    In 2008, Out of 1205 Votes: 29.71% Annoying
    In 2007, Out of 343 Votes: 43.44% Annoying
    In 2006, Out of 295 Votes: 40.68% Annoying
    In 2005, Out of 945 Votes: 42.22% Annoying
    In 2004, Out of 947 Votes: 41.18% Annoying
    In 2003, Out of 1817 Votes: 41.99% Annoying
    In 2002, Out of 5013 Votes: 35.29% Annoying
    In 2001, Out of 8167 Votes: 25.79% Annoying