Benjamin Franklin, a US Founding Father, inventor, diplomat, and writer, dies at the age of 84 in 1790.
Benjamin Franklin died on April 17, 1790, at the age of 84. His death was caused by empyema, which was caused by pleurisy bouts he experienced earlier in his life. Franklin's health worsened steadily in his final years. Franklin was President of the Council of Pennsylvania from 1785 to 1787. His final big public appearance was during the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, which took place from May 25 to September 17, 1787. Franklin's first bout with pleurisy (lung infection or pneumonia) occurred when he was 21 years old. He suffered a recurrence eight years later with an abscess on his left lung, which made him vulnerable to future assaults.
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