Print Collector/Getty Images Some of Benjamin Franklin’s accomplishments—his kite experiment, establishing the first American subscription library, and signing the Declaration of Independence—are pretty iconic. Here are 10 of Franklin’s lesser-known contributions to society that are worth celebrating as well. 1. Benjamin Franklin was an excellent swimmer. As a youngster, Franklin learned to swim in Philadelphia’s Schuylkill River and became somewhat of an expert. On a Thames River boating trip with friends, a 19-year-old Franklin jumped into the river and swam from Chelsea to Blackfriars (around 3.5 miles), performing all sorts of water tricks along the way or, as he described it, “…many feats of activity, both upon and under the water, that surprised and pleased those to whom they were novelties.” Franklin’s Phelpsian feats earned him an honorary induction into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1968.