Happy Birthday, Ben! Philadelphia's Favorite Son Turns 308
By Jim Melwert
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Philadelphia's favorite son turns 308 today, with several celebrations planned in Old City. There will be events all weekend to mark Ben Franklin's birthday.
Amy Needle, CEO of Historic Philadelphia, says there will also be what's called a "Tippler's Tour" -- a visit to four taverns with Colonial-era songs and toasts.
"There's great beer and food at each location," she says, "and you get a Ben Franklin dictionary as well."
That would be "The Drinker's Dictionary," with 200 phrases for someone is who is drunk.
"We all know that he loved to eat, drink, and be merry, and one of the things that Ben did was actually write a dictionary of over 200 ways of being intoxicated," Needle explains.
Some descendants of Franklin will also be in town to celebrate the birthday.
"I grew up with the name Franklin -- what can I say? Probably expectations that one doesn't need," says Phyllis Franklin Bierstedt.
"I've been told that I do look like him or resemble him, the small lips, and the cheeks, and the hooded eyes, what can I say?"
More info at HistoricPhiladelphia.org.
