Benjamin Franklin

Poor Richard’s Almanac—Franklin thrived on work Poor Richard’s Almanac—Franklin thrived on work. In 1733 he started publishing Poor Richard's Almanack. Almanacs of the era were printed annually, and contained things like weather reports, recipes, predictions and homilies. Franklin published his almanac under the guise of a man named Richard Saunders, a poor man who needed money to take care of his carping (always complaining about something) wife. What distinguished Franklin's almanac were his witty aphorisms and lively writing. Many of the famous phrases associated with Franklin, such as, "A penny saved is a penny earned" come from Poor Richard. 

The almanac was published for the year of 1733 and was published once a year for the next 25 years. It contained all sorts of interesting information such as the calendar, weather predictions, sayings, poems and demographics. It also included recipes, trivia, advice, aphorisms, and proverbs about industry and frugality. Franklin considered it a vehicle of instruction for common people who could not afford books, a literature for the masses. Almanacs were the most read secular books in the colonies.

Science—Among the many things that Franklin studied (most famously the kite in the lightning storm experiment): Meteorology Common Colds—spread by contact, not cold or wet clothing Lead poisoning Northern Lights—also called Aurora Borealis The Gulf Stream—movement of currents in the ocean