It’s 2026, and we’re celebrating America’s 250th birthday, but a couple of our Founding Fathers have celebrations on tap — President’s Day (aka George Washington’s birthday) is coming next month and, closer to home, we’ll celebrate the 320th birthday of Philly’s own Founding Father, Benjamin Franklin, on Saturday, January 17.
What is it about the scientist, statesman, printer and politician that allows his presence to loom so large centuries later?
“His never-ending curiosity,” said Brian Patrick Mulligan, an actor and historical impersonator who is one of the people who have brought Franklin to life for modern audiences in Philly and across the U.S. for decades.
“He conducted so many experiments, challenged things, changed things. There’s so many things that Ben Franklin invented that are still used in society today. That’s an amazing contribution,” Mulligan said.
Plus, he added, “if not for Ben Franklin, we may not have won the Revolutionary War,” thanks to his successful trip to France to petition King Louis XVI “for the three Ms: money, munitions, militia. Without the ships and everything else that France offered, we probably would have lost and still been part of the colonies with England.”
Franklin’s legacy also includes a long list of inventions, many of which are still used today. Think the car odometer, the lightning rod, bifocals, swimming fins – he is the only Founding Father in the International Swimming Hall of Fame.
Not to mention all the Philadelphia institutions that still exist, like the University of Pennsylvania – its alumni have their own birthday parties planned – which was founded originally as the Academy of Philadelphia in 1740, and the Union Fire Company, the first public hospital, and the first lending library.
“Ben was so young when he did all of the stuff he’s known for,” said another Franklin impersonator and Mastery Charter School teacher, Chris Kuncio, who leads tours while rapping and dressed as a younger version of the elder statesman. “He was only 26 when he set up the library, only 30 when he set up the fire company.”
For Mulligan, each of the 36 years he has spent embodying Franklin – to the day, as he began on Jan. 17, 1990 – “I learn something new and my curiosity is always piqued. It’s a never-ending story because he had such a rich, filled life. If he inspires other people to be curious, that would be a wonderful honor in his life.”
One of his quotes is “Be at war with your vices, be at peace with your neighbors, and let every new year find you a better [person].”
“That is sound advice,” Mulligan said, “for anybody today or back then.”
There are several events being held to wish Franklin a happy 320th birthday posthumously. Here are some options.
American Philosophical Society’s 2026 Benjamin Franklin Birthday Celebration: The Role of the Military in a Democracy
When: Friday, Jan. 16 from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Where: American Philosophical Society (427 Chestnut St.) then parade to Christ Church Burial Ground.
What: Military, academic and historical leaders discuss Franklin’s legacy, then and now, before making the annual birthday parade from APS’ Franklin Hall to Christ Church and then to the Museum of the American Revolution, capped by an already-sold-out talk with Lt. General H. R. McMaster.
Ben Franklin’s Birthday Limited Edition Tippler’s Tour
When: Friday to Sunday, Jan. 16-18, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Where: Carpenter’s Hall
What: Raise a glass to Franklin for his 320th birthday with a limited-run edition of the Tippler’s Tour. Enjoy seasonal snacks and festive drinks as you learn some of Ben’s most colorful euphemisms for being drunk — like “nimptopsical” and “tipsicum grave.”
How much: Tastings and gratuity are included in a $40 ticket.
Ben’s Birthday Bash
When: Saturday, Jan. 17, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Where: Franklin Institute
What: Dress like Ben. Hands-on fun, games, music and more. Snap a pic in front of the 20-foot-tall Benjamin Franklin National Memorial. Play Franklin-themed games, design birthday hats, see hair-raising electricity experiments, and hear the unique sound of “Happy Birthday” being played live on Franklin’s own invention, the glass armonica, with a celebratory ball-pit ball explosion finale!
How much: $23-29 museum admission.
Benjamin Franklin Museum
When: Year-round, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Where: Entrance between 3rd and 4th Street on Market Street
What: Exhibits about Franklin’s life and legacy on the spot where his house once stood. Also: the building that housed his Printing Office, a working post office, and Franklin Court which includes a small outdoor archeological exhibit that can be viewed. Part of the National Park Service.
How much: $5 for a adults, $2 for children
The post Party like it’s 1706! How to celebrate Ben Franklin’s 320th birthday appeared first on Billy Penn at WHYY.
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