A little reason to celebrate
Benjamin Franklin Day
History ยท January 17
A day for Benjamin Franklin, the printer, writer, inventor and statesman whose curiosity left marks all over American life.
Benjamin Franklin Day falls on Sunday, January 17, 2027. That is 82 days away.
Benjamin Franklin was a printer by trade who became one of the best known Americans of his age. He wrote, experimented, invented, and helped shape a new country as a diplomat and statesman. His face is on the hundred dollar bill, which means plenty of people carry him around without thinking about it.
What makes Franklin easy to like is how practical his curiosity was. He studied electricity and is linked to the kite experiment and the lightning rod, a simple metal rod that guides a strike safely into the ground. He is credited with bifocal glasses, made for people tired of switching between two pairs. He also designed an efficient wood stove.
He was a writer first, though. For years he published Poor Richard's Almanack, full of weather, calendars and short sayings about thrift and hard work. Many of those lines still float around in ordinary speech, often without anyone knowing where they came from.
People mark the day by reading something he wrote, visiting a library, or picking up a small habit he was known for, like keeping a list of personal virtues and checking in on them. Philadelphia, where he spent most of his working life, keeps many places connected to him.
His autobiography is short, plain and surprisingly readable, and it stops before the most famous parts of his life.
Ways to celebrate
- Read a few pages of Franklin's autobiography.
- Look up some sayings from Poor Richard's Almanack.
- Visit your public library and borrow a history book.
- Write down a short list of habits you want to practice.
- Look closely at a lightning rod on a local building.
Dates
| Year | Date |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Saturday, January 17 |
| 2027 | Sunday, January 17 |
| 2028 | Monday, January 17 |
| 2029 | Wednesday, January 17 |
| 2030 | Thursday, January 17 |
All national days on January 17
Also on January 17
- National Hot Buttered Rum Day
- Ditch New Year's Resolutions Day
- Kid Inventors' Day
- Popeye Day
- Cable Car Day
Categories: History days