Under the pseudonym Richard Saunders, Benjamin Franklin brought Poor Richard's Almanac to life. Its debut edition hit the press on December 19th, 1732. Traditionally, an almanac serves as a yearly reference packed with key dates, statistics, astronomical figures, and tide tables. While Franklin's publication covered much of this same ground, he presented it all through a fresh and distinctive writing style.
By shaking up the conventional tone and voice, the author crafted something that stood worlds apart from a typical almanac. Readers were charmed by this inventive approach, and the book quickly gained widespread acclaim.
The Almanacs Contents
Poor Richard's Almanac contains;
- Astrological information
- Jokes
- Poems
- Weather predictions and
- Richard's proverbs
What truly set the publication apart were Richard's proverbs — sharp, insightful observations that mirrored his hard-working, frugal and simplistic character. Several of these Poor Richard's Almanac sayings remain well-known to this day;
- Fear to do ill, and you need fear naught else
- A penny saved is a penny earned
- God helps them that help themselves
- Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy and wise
Year after year until 1758, Franklin produced 10,000 copies annually. Such was the almanac's popularity that it was eventually translated into other languages to reach foreign readers.
About Benjamin Franklin.
Benjamin Franklin got his start in the newspaper business at the remarkably young age of 12, working for printing companies. He eventually ran away from home and bounced between several printers before finding his footing at The Pennsylvania Gazette. By the age of 24, Benjamin had become the company's sole owner. His inventive spirit led him to pioneer the first newspaper cartoon as well as a map accompanied by a story.