Why did Ben Franklin live so long?

Franklin's moderate, balanced lifestyle led to a long life of 84 years, about 30-40 years above the average estimated lifespan of the time! It may have worked for him, but could it work for modern-day Americans?

How many hours a day did Ben Franklin sleep?

Franklin had a very strict routine when it came to his sleeping schedule — he would sleep seven hours per night, wake up at 5 in the morning, and go to bed at 10 at night.

What was Benjamin Franklin's lifespan?

Benjamin Franklin, a statesman and scientist, died on this day in 1790 in Philadelphia. He was 84 years old, having lived well beyond the average life expectancy for Americans at the time.

How did Benjamin Franklin's life end?

Benjamin Franklin died at age 84 on April 17, 1790, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was born an Englishman and died an American. The cause of death was complications from pleurisy.

What was Benjamin Franklin's diet?

As a young adult, Franklin lived as a vegetarian, surviving on a diet of mostly biscuits and raisins. The lifestyle started out of a need to save money (meat was expensive), but evolved into a value system. He began eating meat again while sailing on a ship from Boston to New York.

How Ben Franklin Structured His Day

Why did Ben Franklin not eat meat?

In going vegetarian, Franklin was not primarily motivated by health issues. Rather, he found that doing without meat would help him save half of the wages he earned as an apprentice in his brother's print shop.

What was Benjamin Franklin's favorite meal?

Benjamin Franklin

Franklin preferred snacking on apples and cranberries, and his all-time favorite food was turkey. In fact, he “loved turkey so much that he suggested it should be our national symbol,” according to The Daily Meal.

What was Benjamin Franklin's weakness?

Through the decades, books and articles about Franklin have examined some of his shortcomings, including his neglect of his wife, Deborah, and his estrangement from his illegitimate son, William. His writings, too, have been derided for what critics consider their strait-laced Puritanism and materialism.

What diseases did Ben Franklin have?

Other than frequent respiratory problems, Franklin suffered two common eighteenth-century complaints: gout and pain from bladder stones. These were largely nuisance diseases in Franklin's middle years, and he was fortunate to enter his seventies still active and mentally focused.

Why is Ben Franklin on the $100 dollar bill?

Franklin played a key role in building the nation. He was the most important founding father, he was the oldest and the one who had contributed the most to the cause of independence. Franklin signed the Treaty of Alliance with France, convincing the French government to support America against powerful Britain.

What 3 things did Benjamin Franklin invent?

What famous quote did Benjamin Franklin say?

“Better slip with foot than tongue.” “Look before, or you'll find yourself behind.” “Don't throw stones at your neighbors, if your own windows are glass.” “He that would live in peace & at ease, Must not speak all he knows or judge all he sees.”

What was the average life expectancy Founding Fathers?

Consider the example of our Founding Fathers. When they were born in the 18th century, life expectancy was below 40. Yet the average lifespan of the 56 signers to the Declaration of Independence was 66 years, and a quarter of them (including Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Ben Franklin) lived to 80 or older.

What two questions would Franklin ask himself every day?

Each morning, before going to work, Franklin would set his intention for the day with an important question: What good shall I do this day? Then he'd pick a virtue to focus on, and begin to “contrive day's business, and take the resolution of the day” i.e. to plan his day.

Did John Adams and Ben Franklin sleep in the same bed?

Adams and Franklin chose to share a bed in a room without a chimney and with only one small window. And then the fun began. According to David McCullough's biography of the second president, the two men "argued fiercely" over whether or not to keep a window open that night.

What are the 13 virtues of Benjamin Franklin?

Then he considered various virtues that, if mastered, would counteract his unwanted behavior. His list of 13: Temperance, Silence, Order, Resolution, Frugality, Industry, Sincerity, Justice, Moderation, Cleanliness, Tranquility, Chastity and Humility. Thirteen wasn't a nod to the original colonies, nor was it random.

Was Benjamin Franklin schizophrenic?

There's no indication that Benjamin Franklin had any notable mental illness, but he did have all kinds of ideas about mental health and wellbeing, including his proverbial teaching promoting good sleep hygiene: Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.

Why couldn t Ben Franklin walk?

The carriage that Ben Franklin was carried to the Continental Congress meeting in. He had a bad case of gout and couldn't walk.

What was Benjamin Franklin's fear?

Franklin was deeply worried that immigrants of German ancestry would overwhelm America and change its most basic virtues, possibly bringing an end to the fledgling republic.

What are 3 important facts about Benjamin Franklin?

What is one thing for which Benjamin Franklin is not famous?

One Thing That Benjamin Franklin Is Not Famous For

There is often the assumption that Franklin was President of the United States. He was President of the Council of Pennsylvania but never the leader of the entire country. Franklin was not president, nor did he ever run for president.

Was Franklin A Vegan?

Founding father Ben Franklin was a passionate vegetarian. In his memoirs, he stated that he became vegetarian at the age of sixteen.

What did Benjamin Franklin love the most?

Franklin's love of reading prompted his father to apprentice him to James, an older brother with a printing shop. Franklin was a quick study and soon mastered all aspects of the trade.

Was Benjamin Franklin a flirt?

Franklin was a notorious womanizer.

Although Franklin was an inveterate flirt, and he sired an illegitimate child before his 1730 wedding to Deborah Reed Rogers, there is no evidence that he had any affairs during his marriage.