what is the date of benjamin franklin's birthday?

Answer 1

WHAT DAY OF THE YEAR?

This is a slightly trickier question than many realize.

Under our CURRENT calendar the date was January 17, 1706.

BUT that is not the calendar Britain and its colonies were operating under at the time. They were still using the Julian calendar, according to which the date was January 6.

Britain switched to the Gregorian Calendar in 1751-2. That may create some confusion for dates of people who lived under BOTH systems. So it is common for such dates (e.g., birth dates of Franklin, Washington, et.al.) to add the notation "OS" (for "old style") if listing the date by the old calendar, and "NS" (for "new style") if using the new calendar.

People generally made up their own minds which date to cite for their birthday. I know Washington switched to the New Style. I believe Franklin did as well.

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BUT WHAT YEAR??

Now HERE is another twist that many people miss -- one that's important for all "Old Style" dates early in the year. The day considered the first of the new year varied by time and place through the centuries. One commonly used date was March 25 (because it was observed as the day of the "Annunciation" -- announcement by the angel Gabriel to Mary of the birth of Jesus... observed nine months later, on December 25). That was the case in Britain for several centuries before the calendar shift. After the shift, the year began on January 1.

Of course, this would affect the official "year" for those like Franklin and Washington born in January - February. January 6th, for instance, would be counted as part of the PRECEDING year.

So, if you REALLY want the full, proper "Old Style" date for Franklin's birth (what a calendar on the wall that day would have read), it should be "January 6, 1705 (OS)", sometimes written as "January 6 1705/06".

(Similarly Washington's new style date is February 22, 1732, which is the same as February 11, 1731 OS.)

Answer 2

January 17

Answer 3

17 January 1706

Answer 4

the day he was born