On This Day May 23

The American scientist and politician Benjamin Franklin developed the first pair of bifocal spectacles for long-sighted people. Tired of constantly taking his glasses on and off to read he decided to make a pair of glasses which would let him enjoy both the beautiful scenery and his treasured books when travelling. He cut two pairs of spectacles in two and put each lens into a single frame. He announced his invention of a bifocal eyeglass on May 23, 1785.

Benjamin Franklin by David Martin 1767

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