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Almanacs and the birth of an American institution
The article recalls January 17 as Benjamin Franklin’s birthday and traces the almanac from its ancient origins to Franklin’s Poor Richard, noting its rise in colonial America, rivalries with Titan Leeds, and the enduring Old Farmer’s Almanac founded by Robert Thomas in 1792. It highlights the almanac’s role in daily life, its evolution, and its cultural impact on the young nation.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
B. Franklin
Richard
Franklin
Bernard Fay
Little, Brown and Company
America
Lodge
Junto
London
Robert Herrick
Herrick
Great Britain
John Partridge
Dean Swift
Partridge
Swift
Cove
Harvard College
New England
John Tully
Saybrook
Conn
Robert B. Thomas
Benjamin Franklin
Richard Saunders
Philadelphia
Thomas Godfrey
J. Jermann
Robin
England
Fay
Poor Robin
Newfoundland
South Carolina
Philom
Pennsylvania
Titan Leeds
Daniel Leeds
Frankiie
the Gazette
Mr. Leeds
Leeds
Joseph
Wiii
Tom
Job
Roger
Thomas
Abraham Weatherwise
New York
Copernicus Weatherguesser
Washington
Francis Bailey
Lancaster
Robert Bailey Thomas
Farmer's Almanac
Boston
Robert Thomas
Benjamin’ Franklin