11. Benjamin Franklin didn’t let old age slow him down, only retiring from American politics when he was 84
Founding Father Benjamin Franklin had no time for people who did nothing in their later years. Indeed, he famously quipped “Many people die at 25 and aren’t buried until they are 75.” For his part, Franklin was only getting started when he was in his mid-20s. The polymath channelled his youthful energy into his writings and business ventures, with his numerous inventions and publications making him a wealthy and influential man before he reached the age of 30. It was only after he turned 50 that he turned to politics – and then he had to wait 20 more years until the high point of his life, the signing of the American Declaration of Independence.
Several of the Founding Fathers were shockingly young when the landmark document was signed in 1776. James Monroe, for example, was just 18-years-old, while Alexander Hamilton had only recently turned 21. Franklin, however, was the true elder statesman. He was 70 when he put his name to the paper. And he wasn’t done there. In 1785, at the age of 79, Franklin assumed the position of Governor of Pennsylvania, a position he would hold until 1788. He died just two years after retiring from politics, aged 84.