Fifteenth brother of a total of seventeen, Benjamin Franklin attended elementary school only, and these only until the age of ten years. At the age of twelve he began working as a printer in a company owned by one of his brothers. Later he founded the newspaper The Pennsylvania Gazette, which published between 1728 and 1748. He also published the Poor Richard's Almanac (1732-1757) and was responsible for the issuance of paper money in the British colonies in America (1727). Benjamin Franklin's interest in scientific issues began in mid-century and coincided with the beginning of his political activities, which focused ...