Sarah Myers

Benjamin Franklin was an American polymath who was active as a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher, forger and political philosopher. Among the leading intellectuals of his time, Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, a drafter and signer of the United States Declaration of Independence, and the first United States Postmaster General.

Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre (18 November 1787 – 10 July 1851) was a French artist and photographer, recognized for his invention of the eponymous daguerreotype process of photography. He became known as one of the fathers of photography. Though he is most famous for his contributions to photography, he was also an accomplished painter, scenic designer, and a developer of the diorama theatre.

1st president of the United States. Born Feb 22, 1732. Died Dec. 14, 1799 at the age of 67.

Designed to separate cotton fiber from seed, Eli Whitney's cotton gin, for which he received a patent on March 14, 1794, introduced a new, profitable technology to agricultural production in America. The cotton gin is a device for removing the seeds from cotton fiber.

The smallpox vaccine is the first vaccine to be developed against a contagious disease. In 1796, British physician Edward Jenner demonstrated that an infection with the relatively mild cowpox virus conferred immunity against the deadly smallpox virus. Not everyone was on board with Jenner and his vaccine. Rumors circulated at the time that it would turn people into cows. But by 1801, through extensive testing, it was shown to effectively protect against smallpox

In Jenner’s time, smallpox killed around 10 percent of the population, with the number as high as 20 percent in towns and cities where infection spread more easily. In 1821 he was appointed physician extraordinary to King George IV

The last natural outbreak of smallpox in the United States occurred in 1949.

2nd President of the United States. Born Oct. 30, 1735. Died Jul 4, 1826 at the age of 91.

3rd President of the United States. Born Apr 13, 1743. Died Jul 4, 1826 at the age of 83.