With support from the University of Richmond

History News Network

History News Network puts current events into historical perspective. Subscribe to our newsletter for new perspectives on the ways history continues to resonate in the present. Explore our archive of thousands of original op-eds and curated stories from around the web. Join us to learn more about the past, now.

In Year of Franklin's 300th Birthday, It's Good to Be Ben

It is clear to anyone attending a convention or visiting historic sites here that Ben Franklin is not only alive 300 years after he was born but that he has also been cloned. Several times.

Franklin has always had a big presence in Philadelphia. Mayor John F. Street and others have recently endorsed renaming the 30th Street train station in his honor. And the city's yearlong celebration of his 300th birthday has created a huge demand for the small cadre of people who portray him.

Read entire article at NYT