As a letter to Franklin from George Washington goes up for auction, the author and inventor also figures in New York Lottery commercials.

Breana Teubner and Peter McGuiness hit it off on their first date. She asked him to name a favorite autobiography. His answer impressed.

From the Smithsonian magazine archives, some of our favorite reader questions about our nation's founding upon its 250th birthday. Q: Did Benjamin Franklin really fly a kite in a thunderstorm?

The City of Franklin officially welcomed a statue of Ben Franklin with fanfare and a birthday party.

Valentine’s Day 2026: Long before affection was reduced to emojis and instant replies, love revealed itself gradually, shaped ...

Robert O’Brien is an elocution teacher whose career is going nowhere fast. Stuck in a dreary cycle of diaphragm exercises and ...

This month marks Benjamin Franklin’s 320th birthday. Near the end of his life, he wondered what life would be like “two or three centuries hence.” Well, here we are. What would Franklin make of it? He ...

America’s favorite multitalented Founding Father is celebrating his — checks parchment — 320th birthday Saturday, and the ...

Founded 227 years ago, the city of Franklin is finally getting a statue of its namesake, Ben Franklin.