Benjamin Franklin, born January 17, 1706,15th child, of 17 children in the Franklin family. Ben’s father was a soap and candlemaker, who lived in Boston, Massachusetts with his second wife Abiah Folger. Although Bem learned to read at an early age, he only attended grammar school for two years. By the time he was 10 years old, Ben was working for his father. However, he did not enjoy the candlemaking area and two years later Franklin wa