11 Amazing Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Benjamin Franklin

Ben Franklin is one of our most interesting founding fathers.  Did you know…

Franklin was a such a great swimmer that he received a posthumous induction into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1968!  He also invented swim fins [worn on the hands].

Franklin began masquerading as women at the age of 16 – in letters written to his brother James’ newspaper.  James was not amused when he found out that Silence Dogood’s [“a middle-aged widow with sharp, satirical wit”] letter were actually written by his kid brother.

Ben Franklin never said he wanted a turkey, and not the bald eagle, on our national seal. Franklin did try to cook a turkey using electric current but ended up shocking himself numb.

You’ll learn more about the Franklin facts above and a lot more if you click over to 11 Amazing Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Benjamin Franklin presented by Mental_Floss.