1

He secretly wrote under a woman's name

While most of today's teenagers are finishing high school and wondering what their first job might be, Benjamin Franklin was already writing newspaper columns under a secret identity .

At just 16, Franklin began writing a series of satirical letters to his older brother James’s newspaper, the New-England Courant in Boston. He wrote them under the name Silence Dogood, a fictional middle-aged woman who offered witty observations about colonial life, morality, and politics. But the public wasn’t the only one "fooled" by the writer. Franklin secretly slipped the letters under the printing-house door at night so his brother wouldn’t know who was behind them. James and his friends enjoyed the letters so much that they published them without realizing that their teenage apprentice was the author. Young Benjamin eventually revealed the secret, and according to historical sources, his brother was not amused.

2

He loved "air baths"

As a Founding Father, Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, Postmaster General of the United States, and U.S. ambassador to France, we know plenty about Benjamin Franklin’s public life, but much less about his everyday habits.

One of the strangest was what he called his "air baths." In a letter from 1768, Franklin explained that he disliked the shock of cold-water baths. Instead, every morning he would get out of bed, remove all his clothes, and sit by the open window of his bedroom for up to an hour while he read, wrote, and worked. He believed that exposing his body to fresh air helped keep him healthy. But what’s interesting is that, despite his dislike of cold water, he still bathed regularly, and later became a fan of warm baths after experiencing them while serving as ambassador to France .

3

He dropped out of school when he was 10

Despite being one of the most intelligent and well-educated men of his time, Benjamin Franklin left school when he was still a child.

Few people know that Franklin attended grammar school for only about two years before leaving formal education at around age 10 because his family could no longer afford to keep him in school. But neither his family’s financial hardship nor his lack of formal education held him back. He educated himself through extensive reading and writing, studied science and philosophy, learned French, Italian, Spanish, and German, and eventually pursued his passion for electricity. As a consequence, the boy who had left school at 10 went on to become one of the best-known intellectuals of his era.

4

He created a musical instrument that impressed Mozart

Along with famous inventions like the lightning rod and bifocal glasses, Franklin created several other inventions that fascinated people of his time.

One of the most unusual was the "glass armonica," a musical instrument he created in 1761 while living in London, England, made of spinning glass bowls that produced tones when touched with wet fingers. The instrument became a sensation across Europe. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was so impressed that he composed Adagio and Rondo for Glass Armonica, Flute, Oboe, Viola, and Cello (K. 617) for it in 1791, and Ludwig van Beethoven also wrote music for the instrument.

5

He became a French fashion icon

Intellectual, politician, writer, inventor: these are all words that describe Benjamin Franklin. But who would have thought he was also a fashion icon?

While serving as a diplomat in France from 1776 to 1785, Franklin embraced some French customs, but he also brought a distinctly American style to Paris. At a time when the French elite wore elaborate powdered wigs, Franklin often appeared in a distinctive fur cap , which helped create his image as the charming, rustic American sage. His look became such a sensation that Parisian women began wearing tall hairstyles inspired by his fur cap, a fashion known as the coiffure à la Franklin .

6

He adopted a vegetarian lifestyle

Writing for a newspaper under a female pseudonym wasn’t the only surprising thing Franklin did at age 16.

Around that time, he also decided to become a vegetarian, something quite unusual for a young man in the early 18th century. In his Autobiography , written from 1771 until shortly before his death in 1790, Franklin recalled reading a book by Thomas Tryon that promoted a "vegetable diet" and deciding to try it. He had two good reasons: first, he disliked the idea of killing animals for food, and second, eating less meat would save money for books . But the experiment wasn't long-lasting. About a year later, during a sea voyage, Franklin watched fish being caught and noticed that some of them were eating one another. He later joked that if fish could eat each other, perhaps he could eat fish, too, and he returned to eating meat.

7

He never actually patented an invention

Inventions were a huge part of Benjamin Franklin’s life, but he didn’t make money from them . And it wasn’t because he couldn’t; he simply didn’t want to.

Franklin never patented his inventions because he believed useful ideas should be shared freely for the general good. The lightning rod, bifocals, and Franklin stove could all have brought him money, but he chose not to claim exclusive rights to them. In fact, when Pennsylvania Deputy Governor George Thomas offered him a patent monopoly for his energy-efficient stove in 1744, Franklin politely turned it down.

8

He became a millionaire, but not from inventions

Born into a humble family, Benjamin Franklin went on to become a wealthy man , but not because of his inventions.

As we’ve seen, Franklin never patented his inventions, so he didn’t make money from them. Instead, his intelligence and business sense helped him build a fortune as a printer, publisher, and investor. His Poor Richard’s Almanack, published annually from 1733 to 1758, became hugely popular, selling roughly 10,000 copies a year. Over time, Franklin accumulated enough wealth to retire from active business while he was still relatively young.

9

He made his first invention at 11 years old

Franklin invented a pair of hand paddles for swimming when he was just 11 years old. His aquatic skills later earned him an induction into the International Swimming Hall of Fame.

10

He helped create America's first volunteer fire company

1

Measuring

This is a difference most Americans are aware of: most countries use the metric system rather than U.S. customary units, and most use Celsius instead of Fahrenheit. Countries such as the UK and Canada still use some imperial units in everyday life, but they mainly use the metric system. Another measure that confuses foreigners is the particular way ingredients are measured in American recipes, which often use cups, tablespoons, and teaspoons rather than measurements by weight.

Fun fact: The only other countries that use the Imperial system officially are Liberia and Myanmar.

2

Sales tax

Do you find having to calculate sales taxes annoying? That’s a unique American experience. In the majority of the world, the price you see is the price you pay , because it has the sales tax already added.

Why is it different in America? Sales taxes vary across states , so retailers find it easier to showcase the base price and then calculate the total at checkout.

3

Cutlery use

Many Americans abroad are surprised by the realization that not everyone uses a knife and fork in the same way they do . In fact, no one else does. While most Americans have learned the American style —also called the zig-zag or fork switching method— that involves using the fork in the left hand for cutting and then changing it to the right to pick up the food, European and Latin American countries don’t do this . It might seem like a small difference, but it completely changes the way you eat.

4

Iced drinks

Do other countries not have ice? They do, but they don’t necessarily assume everyone will want it. While serving water and other beverages with ice is customary in America, in many other countries, you need to request it —even during the hottest of summers.

But even if you get ice, many times you will need to specify the amount : the same drink that would be filled with ice cubes in America might come to you with just two or three cubes elsewhere.

5

Date formatting

The U.S. is not completely alone on this one, but there’s a difference big enough to be worth mentioning. The standardized way of recording the date in America is month-day-year , a convention also followed by some Caribbean and Asian countries. But in the rest of the Western world, the conventional format is day-month-year , which can lead to confusion for Americans. In most Asian countries , the most commonly used format is year-month-day .

6

The word ‘American’

In the English language, ‘American’ is the only way to refer to people with U.S. citizenship . Other words, such as ‘Usian’ or ‘Unitedstatian’ have been proposed, but never stuck. This is why many Americans are surprised when other countries —Latin American countries in particular— use ‘American’ for anyone in the American continent , or continents, another big difference. In most European and Latin American countries, there is a different word for U.S. citizens, such as the Spanish ‘estadounidense’ or the Portuguese ‘estadunidense’ .

7

Moving out at 18 years old

This one is not so black and white, but more like a general tendency. Compared with most of Europe, Latin America, and Asia, Americans give serious consideration to the possibility of moving out after high school. Not everyone does, and not everyone can afford it, but it's fairly common.

In other countries, young adults generally move out if their job or education requires it , but they tend to stay at home a few more years if they can.

8

Driving a car as a teenager

America is quite car-centric , especially if you live outside of the big cities. While not everyone can afford to have a personal car —even a second-hand one—, it is common for 16 and 17-year-olds to legally drive their parents’ car, or save for their own.

In the rest of the world, the chances of high schoolers driving themselves to school are much lower, as most countries don’t allow underage kids to get a driving license .

9

Solo cups

Do plastic cups exist outside of the U.S.? They do, but they are not as iconic or as widely used as Solo cups, introduced in the 1970s as a disposable but sturdy cup for parties and events. Many foreigners visiting America are surprised when they realize that solo cups are a real thing , and not something that just happens in movies.

10

Filing taxes

Taxes in the U.S. are not that different from taxes in other countries, except for how they are filed . During tax filing season, thousands of Americans direct their efforts to ensure they have properly reported their income and that their return will match the IRS’s data.

In other parts of the world, however, the one responsible for calculating and filing taxes is the government , while citizens merely corroborate that everything is in order.

1

Dundas Castle, Roscoe, New York

Image: Annie Spratt

Also known as Craig-e-Clair, this castle was built by Ralph Dundas in the early 20th century. It is an architectural marvel of stone and copper.

Dundas died before the castle was completed, and his wife was reportedly committed to a sanitarium shortly after. Consequently, no member of the Dundas family ever actually lived in the mansion. This has led to the "Ghost of Dundas Castle" legends, with locals claiming to see a woman in white wandering the unfinished halls, waiting for a housewarming party that never happened.

2

Rockwell House, Milledgeville, Georgia

Image: Clem Geiss

Built in 1838, the Rockwell House is a stunning example of Federal-style architecture, but its beauty is shadowed by a dark past. It was originally built for Colonel Samuel Rockwell, a prominent lawyer.

Local lore whispers about the "Rockwell Ghost," believed to be a young girl who died during a yellow fever outbreak. However, the house’s most tangible secret lies in its survival; it has endured multiple fires and periods of extreme neglect. In recent years, it has become a focal point for preservationists who uncovered hidden structural reinforcements that suggest the house was built to be an impenetrable fortress of its era.

3

Elda Castle, Ossining, New York

Image: Nitrogel

If the name David Abercrombie sounds familiar, it’s because he co-founded the clothing company Abercrombie & Fitch . But in the 1920s, he also built this granite castle, named Elda (an acronym of his children’s names), as a secluded retreat.

The castle features a network of spiral staircases and open-air porches designed to blend the indoors with the rugged wild. Its abandonment, however, is a sheer tragedy. After the family moved out, the castle was used as a research facility and later fell victim to vandals. Legend has it that a fire in the 1940s was started by squatters, leaving behind a charred stone husk that resembles a medieval ruin more than a 20th-century home.

4

Mongo's Castle, Memphis, Tennessee

Image: Denny Müller

A stark contrast to the classical mansions of the South, Mongo’s Castle was the passion project of Mongo Bebe, a man who built his home out of scrap stone, Ashlar blocks, and found materials.

The house is a maze of folk-art eccentricity. The builder intended it to be a community center and a symbol of African-American heritage and self-reliance. It stands today as a decaying puzzle, with many neighbors still unsure of the structural logic behind its towering, uneven walls.

5

Bannerman's Castle, Pollepel Island, New York

Image: Leonard G., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Rising from the Hudson River, this castle was never intended to be a home; it was a giant advertisement and warehouse for Francis Bannerman VI’s military surplus empire.

In 1920, 200 tons of gunpowder and shells exploded in the castle’s powder house, blowing out a significant portion of the walls. The ground is still considered unstable due to the remnants of military munitions, and the inscriptions on the walls are actually warnings and advertisements for the Bannerman business. Do you dare visit this mansion?

6

Castle Mont Rouge, Rougemont, North Carolina

Image: Florian Delée

This whimsical, onion-domed castle looks like it belongs in the Russian countryside rather than the North Carolina woods. It was designed by sculptor Robert Mihaly, but he ended up abandoning the project in the early 2000s following a personal tragedy and financial hurdles.

The castle remains an "empty sculpture," filled with intricate marble work and unfinished turrets. The bizarre architectural fusion lacks a standard floor plan, making it nearly impossible to convert into a functional residence without destroying its artistic integrity.

7

Ha Ha Tonka Castle, Camdenton, Missouri

Image: Hannah McBride

Robert Snyder, a wealthy Kansas City businessman, began building this European-style castle in 1905. He wanted a retreat that overlooked the breathtaking Ha Ha Tonka Spring.

Yet, Snyder never got to see his dream finished; he was killed in one of Missouri’s first recorded automobile accidents just a year after construction began. His sons finished the castle, but it was gutted by a fire in 1942. There’s a hidden network of caves beneath the castle, which were rumored to be used by outlaws and later as a natural "refrigerator" for the estate’s kitchen.

8

Carleton Island Villa, Cape Vincent, New York

Image: Tama66

This once-magnificent villa was built for William Wyckoff, who made a fortune with the Remington Typewriter Company.

The Secret: Wyckoff’s dream turned into a nightmare on the very first night he stayed in the house. He suffered a massive heart attack and died in his sleep. His wife had passed away a month prior, leaving the villa to a son who had no interest in it. The house has stood empty for over 70 years, its secret being the tragic "cursed" timing that prevented it from ever functioning as a family home.

9

Dicksonia Plantation, Lowndesboro, Alabama

Image: Theo Bickel

Dicksonia was a quintessential antebellum mansion, featuring the massive columns and wrap-around porches synonymous with the Old South.

Unlike many plantations that were destroyed during the Civil War, Dicksonia survived the conflict only to be destroyed by a mysterious fire in 1939. Its "ghost pillars," however, remained standing long after the wooden house burned away. These towering brick columns became a haunting landmark , representing the structural skeletons of a forgotten social order.

10

Wyndcliffe, Rhinebeck, New York

Image: Peter Herrmann

This house is the literal origin of the phrase "Keeping up with the Joneses." Though often referred to as a "Mystery Mansion" by urban explorers, this is the ruin of Wyndcliffe, the estate of Elizabeth Schermerhorn Jones.

Elizabeth’s mansion was so grand and intimidating that it prompted her neighbors—including the Astors—to build even larger homes to compete. The secret of Wyndcliffe is the psychological impact of its architecture; it was built to inspire envy, and its current state of absolute decay is a poetic commentary on the fleeting nature of social status.