Franklin’s Arrival – 300th Anniversary
Franklin first arrived in Philadelphia on October 6, 1723, and the 300th anniversary is easy to celebrate!
Archive of posts filed under the Events category.
Franklin Birthday 2022
With the pandemic continuing, the American Philosophical Society moved their celebrations this year online, in a series of three events. Dr. Franklin’s Virtual Birthday Tour On Thursday, January 13, 2022 APS Museum staff Michael Madeja and Ali Rospond led the online viewers through highlights of the virtual exhibit, Dr. Franklin, Citizen Scientist during this afternoon …
Exuberance Award
This tribute (link) to Franklin’s birthday from Naperville, Illinois is delightful, as exuberant splash. Congratulations and Happy 315th! The picture above is from our home in Maryland.
Birthday Celebration 2021
The 2021 Benjamin Franklin Birthday Celebration on January 15 included fascinating and timely talks on the theme: The Disintegration of Trust: Restoring Confidence in American Institutions. The 2-hour event is now available to watch free on the 2021 Celebration website. Time stamps throughout the recording allows viewers to watch individual speakers: Kathleen Hall Jamieson – “The …
Hopkinson Family Archives
The Family Archives of the Hopkinson family came to auction in June 2020. One item is a book given by Dr. Franklin to Francis Hopkinson, with this commentary from the auction catalog: Thomas Hopkinson (1709 – 1751), father of Francis Hopkinson (1737 – 1791) , worked with Benjamin Franklin (1706 – 1790) on several of …
Franklin Celebration 2020
Bring with you sweet flow’rets from grove and from streamOf things more than mortal your Franklin did dreamAnd beings not mortal shall lend you their aidTo deck the green grave where your Franklin is laid Since 1791, when that line was sung at the graduation ceremonies of The Philadelphia Academy, walking to the gravesite of …
Yale Closure Visit 2018
The Closure Committee of the Friends of Franklin gathered in New Haven in November 2018 to donate the remaining funds of the Friends to the Papers of Benjamin Franklin in honor of Claude-Anne Lopez. Claude-Anne worked at the Papers for many years and started the Friends of Franklin as her “gift to the Papers.” We …
Philadelphia Book Talk, 1/17/2018
The American Philosophical Society and the Historical Society of Pennsylvania are sponsoring a free event on Franklin’s Birthday this year, on the eve of the traditional day-long celebration, featuring Nick Bunker discussing his new account of Franklin’s early life. The event is free and open to the public: please RSVP to attend. See Also Photo …
Franklin and Criminal Justice
This month’s Franklin Celebration in Philadelphia will be held Friday, January 18, 2019 (apologies for this late posting), and is entitled Liberty and Justice for All? Reforming America’s Criminal Justice System. The Inquirer published an excellent Opinion piece by Bill Keller, What would Benjamin Franklin think of today’s criminal justice? on January 4, 2019. UPenn’s …
B. Crump on B. Franklin
Civil Rights attorney Benjamin Crump delivered a speech called “the evolution of Benjamin Franklin and the hope of America” in Fayetteville, Arkansas at Fayetteville State University. His respectful notes are in this article from the Fayetteville Observer. Excerpts: Crump described Franklin, one of the country’s founders, as a Renaissance man at a time during which …