This Day in History – January 17

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A portrait of Benjamin Franklin by David Martin.

Welcome back to This Day in History! On this day, January 17, 1706, Founding Father Benjamin Franklin was born. He was born in Boston, and he was the fifteenth child in his family.

Later to become a towering figure in the history of our nation, Benjamin Franklin became widely renowned for his involvement in drafting the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, as well as his many inventions and discoveries.

Fun Fact You (Probably) Didn’t Know: Benjamin Franklin was in favor of removing the letters C, J, Q, W, X, and Y from the alphabet on the grounds that they were unnecessary.