1706 Born in Boston on January 17 (Jan. 6, 1705, Old Style).
1714 Attends Boston Latin.
1718 Apprenticed to brother James.
1722 Writes Silence Dogood essays.
1723 Runs away to Philadelphia.
1724 Moves to London.
1725 “A Dissertation on Liberty and Necessity, Pleasure and Pain.”
1726 Returns to Philadelphia.
1728 Opens his own print shop.
1729 Writes Busy-Body essays. Buys Pennsylvania Gazette.
1730 Enters common-law marriage with Deborah Read. William born.
1731 Founds library.
1732 Francis born. Launches Poor Richard’s Almanac.
1733 Moral perfection project.
1735 Controversy over preacher Samuel Hemphill.
1736 Clerk of Pa. Assembly. Francis dies. Forms Union Fire Co.
1737 Made Philadelphia postmaster.
1741 Launches General Magazine, which fails. Designs stove.
1743 Sarah (“Sally”) born. Launches American Philosophical Soc.
1745 Collinson sends electricity pamphlets and glass tube.
1746 Summer of electricity experiments.
1747 Writes “Plain Truth.” Organizes militia.
1748 Retires from printing business.
1749 Writes proposal for the Academy (Univ. of Penn.).
1751 Electricity writings published in London. Elected to Pa. Assembly.
1752 Kite and lightning experiment.
1753 Becomes joint postmaster for America.
1754 French and Indian War begins. Albany plan of union.
1757 Leaves for London as agent. Writes “Way to Wealth” and last Poor Richard’s Almanac. Moves in with Mrs. Stevenson on Craven Street.
1758 Visits Ecton to research ancestry with William.
1761 Travels to Flanders and Holland with William.
1762 Returns to Philadelphia. William made royal governor of N.J., marries.
1763 Postal inspection trip from Virginia to New England. French and Indian War ends.
1764 Paxton Boys crisis. Defeated in bitter Assembly election. Returns to London as agent.
1765 Stamp Act passes.
1766 Testifies in Parliament against Stamp Act, which is repealed.
1767 Townshend duties imposed. Travels to France.
1768 Wages press crusade in London on behalf of the colonies.
1769 Second visit to France.
1770 Townshend duties repealed except on tea. Made agent for Massachusetts.
1771 Begins Autobiography. Visits Ireland and Scotland.
1773 Writes parodies “Rules by Which a Great Empire May Be Reduced to a Smaller One” and “Edict of the King of Prussia.” Boston Tea Party.
1775 Returns to Philadelphia. Battles of Lexington and Concord. Elected to Second Continental Congress. Proposes first Articles of Confederation.
1776 William removed as royal governor, imprisoned in Connecticut. Declaration of Independence. Goes to France with Temple and Benny.
1777 Settles in Passy, feted throughout Paris.
1778 Treaties of alliance and commerce with France.
1779 Salons of Madames Brillon and Helvétius. John Paul Jones’s Bonhomme Richard defeats the Serapis.
1781 Appointed (with Adams and others) to negotiate, in Paris, peace with Britain.
1785 Last meeting with William. Returns to Philadelphia.
1787 Constitutional Convention. Elected president of Pa. Society for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery.
1790 Dies on April 17 at age 84.