Insane Beings

Who was Benjamin Franklin? Benjamin Franklin was a  Founding Father  and a polymath, inventor, scientist, printer, politician, freemason and diplomat. Franklin helped to draft the  Declaration of Independence  and the  U.S. Constitution , and he negotiated the 1783  Treaty of Paris  ending the  Revolutionary War .  His scientific pursuits included investigations into electricity, mathematics and mapmaking. A writer known for his wit and wisdom, Franklin also published  Poor Richard’s Almanack , invented bifocal glasses and organized the first successful American lending library.  Early Life Franklin was born on January 17, 1706, in Boston, in what was then known as the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Franklin’s father, English-born soap and candlemaker Josiah Franklin, had seven children with first wife, Anne Child, and 10 more with second wife, Abiah Folger. Franklin was his 15th child and youngest son. Franklin learned to read at an early age, and despite his success at

Who Was Marie Curie? Marie Curie became the first woman to win a Nobel Prize and the first person — man or woman — to win the award twice. With her husband Pierre Curie, Marie's efforts led to the discovery of polonium and radium and, after Pierre's death, the further development of X-rays. The famed scientist died in 1934 of aplastic anemia likely caused by exposure to radiation. Childhood and Education Maria Sklodowska, later known as Marie Curie, was born on November 7, 1867, in Warsaw (modern-day Poland). Curie was the youngest of five children, following siblings Zosia, Józef, Bronya and Hela. Both of Curie’s parents were teachers. Her father, Wladyslaw, was a math and physics instructor. When she was only 10, Curie lost her mother, Bronislawa, to tuberculosis. As a child, Curie took after her father. She had a bright and curious mind and excelled at school. But despite being a top student in her secondary school, Curie could not attend the male-