Here! Here! Happy Birthday Greetings Benjamin Banneker
🎂In his time, Benjamin Banneker, born November 9, 1731, was something of a Renaissance man. He was: a surveyor; a writer who penned Almanacs and Ephemeris (diary journals containing the trajectories of the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus Mrs, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune  and Pluto including weather forecasting.); a journalist; a landowner; and a man who had in-depth knowledge of mathematics, natural sciences and astronomy. Benjamin even built a wooden clock that tick-tocked for most of his lifetime.
Benjamin was the offspring of  a free African woman and a former slave. He had scant formal education — he was largely self-taught. His  letter to Thomas Jefferson on the subjects of slavery and racial equality — it was significant in that he considered himself an African man equal in status to all men. Thomas Jefferson wrote to Benjamin Banneker expressing his belief that blacks possess talents equal to those of “other colours of men,” 30 August 1791
Photo above (center): Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Benjamin was a resident in the state Maryland. He was a participant in a surveying project that established the boundaries of the District of Columbia. He had business, legal and political dealings with several men who were Quakers, as well as anti-slavery advocates.
A sad addendum to Banneker’s legacy: due to an unfortunate house fire, much of his personal papers and memorabilia are lost. But several items have survived and remain available for viewing. His life is still celebrated in parts of the United States. His name still can be found affixed to façades of schools in New York City, College Park, Georgia and Washington, DC.
Checkout this video: Benjamin Banneker The Inventor/Scientist/Astrologer/Almanac Author/Farmer!