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On this day in 1732, Benjamin Franklin first published Poor Richard’s Almanack
December 19, 2022
An event every year that begins at 12:00 am on day 19 of December, repeating indefinitely
On this day in 1732, Benjamin Franklin first published Poor Richard’s Almanack under the pseudonym of Richard Saunders. The best-selling almanac contained a calendar and weather predictions (as expected), but also entertained readers with humor pieces, proverbs, poems, and more.
Some of Poor Richard’s proverbs included:
“No gains without pains.” “Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.” “To err is human, to repent divine, to persist devilish.”
Did you know? The almanac was so popular during its 25-year run that Napoleon ordered its translation into Italian.
The Old Farmer’s Almanac, familiar to many Americans today, commemorates Franklin’s almanac with a picture of him on its cover.
Benjamin Franklin, David Martin, 1767