BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

Franklin was a statesman, diplomat, writer, scientist and inventor, one of the most versatile and talented men in colonial America and a leading figure in the American struggle for independence.

Benjamin Franklin was born in Boston on 17 January 1706. He attended school only briefly, and then helped his  father, who was a candle and soap maker. He was apprenticed to his brother, a printer, and began writing anonymously for his brother's newspaper. Franklin and his brother quarreled, and in 1723 Franklin ran away to Philadelphia. After 18 months in London, Franklin settled in Philadelphia, establishing himself as a printer. He bought the

'Pennsylvania Gazette', which he edited and which became one of the American colonies' major newspapers. He also wrote and published 'Poor Richard's Almanack', an astronomy journal.By 1748, Franklin had made enough money to retire from business and concentrate on science and inventing. His inventions included the Franklin stove and the lightning rod. He demonstrated that lightning and electricity are identical with his famous kite experiment. Franklin also became more active in politics. He was clerk of the Pennsylvania Assembly (1736-1751), a member of the Assembly (1750-1764), and deputy postmaster for the Colonies (1753-1774), reorganizing the postal service to make it efficient and profitable.

Franklin was also involved in many public projects, including founding the American Philosophical Society, a subscription library and, in 1751, an academy which later became the University of Pennsylvania.

From 1757 to 1774, Franklin lived mainly in London where he was the colonial representative for Pennsylvania, Georgia, New Jersey and Massachusetts. His attempts to reconcile the British government with the colonies proved fruitless. On his return to America, the war of independence had already broken out and he threw himself into the struggle. In 1776, he helped to draft, and was then a signatory to, the Declaration of Independence. His illegitimate son William, royal governor of New Jersey between 1762 and 1776, remained loyal to Britain, causing a rift that lasted for the rest of Franklin's life.  Later that year, Franklin and two others were appointed to represent America in France. Franklin negotiated the Franco-American Alliance which provided for military cooperation between the two countries against Britain and

ensured significant French subsidies to America. In 1783, as American ambassador to France, Franklin signed the Treaty of Paris, ending the American War of Independence. He was extremely popular and well known in France, but in 1785 returned to America. He continued to be deeply involved in politics, helping to draft the Constitution. Franklin died in Philadelphia on 17 April 1790.

BILL COSBY

Bill Cosby was one of America's best-loved TV stars, but his son's death in a drive-by shooting and court battles over alleged sexual assaults have left the family man's image in tatters.

William H. Cosby Jr. first took to the stage as a stand-up comedian while at college. By his early twenties, he had appeared in a number of television variety programmes including ‘The Ed Sullivan Show’ and ‘The Johnny Carson Show’.

However, his big break came in 1965 when he appeared as Alexander Scott in ‘I Spy’, winning numerous Emmys for his  performance.

In 1969, he starred in his own series, ‘The Bill Cosby Show’. He was also one of the major characters on the children's television show ‘The Electric Company’ for its first two seasons, and created the humorous educational cartoon series ‘Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids’, about a group of young friends growing up in the city. Cosby also acted in numerous films, although none has received the acclaim of his television work. In 1984, ‘Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids’ stopped production, and ‘The Cosby Show’ commenced. This portrayal of a middle-class African-American family – the Huxtables - was originally rejected by ABC, accepted by a then-floundering NBC, and became an almost instant success. From 1985 to 1987 the show broke viewing records, with Cosby becoming a real driving force in US television during the 1980s.

‘The Cosby Show’ finally stopped production in 1992, conceding its dominant position to the cartoon series, ‘The Simpsons’. Cosby was also dissatisfied with the way ethnic minorities were portrayed on television. He produced the TV series ‘A Different World’ in 1987, which was set in a historically black college and concentrated on young people and education.

The late 1990s brought trouble for Cosby, first in early 1997 with the death of his only son, Ennis, who was shot to death in a random act of violence. Also that year, he was dragged into a court case that involved a young woman named Autumn Jackson who claimed that he was her biological father. Cosby admitted to an affair with Jackson's mother but denied fathering Jackson. She was convicted of extortion and sentenced to 26 months in prison.

Cosby has received a number of awards during his career and in October 2009, the comedian was presented with the 12th annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humour.