Benjamin Franklin was born in Boston, Massachusetts on January 17, 1706. He was the youngest son in a family of seventeen children. Benjamin loved books and reading, and he wrote poetry as a young boy. When he was twelve, he began working in his older brother's print shop. In 1728, Benjamin set up his own print shop in Philadelphia and published a newspaper called The Pennsylvania Gazette. Once a year, he also printed Poor Richard's Almanack. Benjamin was a writer, scientist, inventor, and statesman. He invented the Franklin stove and the lightning rod. He helped to write the Declaration of Independence. He spent many years in England and France, working on behalf of the United States government. He is considered one of our greatest Americans.