Benjamin Franklin's 310th Birthday Honored In Philadelphia
By John McDevitt
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- An annual celebration honoring Benjamin Franklin took place Friday in Old City. Dr. Franklin would have been 310 years old on Sunday.
A wreath was placed at the grave site of Benjamin Franklin at Christ Church burial ground where there was a brief ceremony for Franklin's 310th birthday.
Every year there's a theme. This year it's Dr. Franklin and public health.
Don Smith is the co-chair of the annual Benjamin Franklin birthday celebration.
"It's kind of a fascinating history not only was one of the founders of one the first hospitals in America, but he also had a four-year-old son who died of small pox and he through his life lamented that he had never given the vaccination to his son before he died and told all the people that he knew that they should use this. It was an early form of vaccination that they used in those days," said Smith.
Portraying Benjamin Franklin since the early 1970s, Ralph Archbold, lead the crowd in the hardy hip hip hazzah's for Benjamin Franklin.