As Americans approach the era of a new millennium, they must realize the ever-changing progress of technology in our world. Developments come as fast as time passes, and with each new one, the old one becomes obsolete. Scientists and engineers have made a worldwide impact on how civilization lives, works and plays, and the technology continues to grow through continual research and experimentation. This trend is destined to continue...as time has yet to stop.
             "Well done is better than well said," once said a great man. Americans and all peoples around the globe owe tribute and thank this man, who made a significant impact on technology and the lives of all Americans during his time. Through his genius and diligent dedication to the progress of mankind, he opened up a doorway for many others to follow in his footsteps toward a world of tremendous technological and philosophical growth.
             A printer, author, philosopher, scientist, and inventor by trade, this man - probably one of the most respected of his time - actually spent most of his time working as a diplomat and revolutionary for the upcoming American colonies. However, he is probably most acclaimed as being America's greatest statesman ever. His phenomenal accomplishments helped lead to the establishment of the land of the free and the home of the brave, which we now know as the United States of America.
             Benjamin Franklin was born on January 17, 1706, in Boston, Massachusetts. His father, Josiah Franklin, a tallow chandler by trade, had 17 children; Benjamin was the 15th child and the 10th son. His mother, Abiah Folger, was his father's second wife. The Franklin family lived modestly, like most New Englanders of the time. Early in his life, Franklin indicated significant intelligence and academic ability. After his attendance at grammar school from age eight to ten, Benjamin was taken into his father's business. Finding the work uncongenial, he ...