Benjamin Banneker

Benjamin Banneker. National Mall and Memorial Parks.

"…it is the indispensable duty of those, who maintain for themselves the rights of human nature,…to extend their power and influence to relief of every part of the human race…" , , Benjamin Banneker, 1792

, Benjamin Banneker (1731-1806) was born a free African American in Baltimore County, Maryland. He became America's first black man of science, an accomplished mathematician, astronomer, and producer of almanacs., Banneker received an education rare for the time. Taught to read by his Irish grandmother, he later attended a local one room school. He spent his working days managing his family's 100 acre tobacco plantation. In his retirement, Banneker learned astronomy from books lent by his neighbor George Ellicott., In 1791, Major Andrew Ellicott, George's cousin selected Banneker to help in the survey of Washington, DC. Banneker spent three months at Alexandria, Virginia's Jones Point performing astronomical work that established the southern tip of the new capital city., After returning to his farm in Maryland, Banneker completed calculations for an almanac for the year 1792. His almanacs continued to be published for the next five years. At least 28 editions were printed and were widely distributed in the United States and abroad.,

Memorial Facts , Designer The Office of Dan Kiley , Materials Green granite fountain, concrete walls, granite pavers , Cost ~$2 million ($16 million in 2023 dollars) , Construction 1967-1969 , Dedication November 24, 1971

, [Captions:] , No portrait of Banneker is known to exist. This postage stamp, issued on February 15, 1980, is based upon descriptions by people who knew him., Banneker calculated and predicted precisely the positions of the sun, moon, and planets each year for his almanacs. Writing and charting in his journal on April 3, 1791, he recorded a solar eclipse (above)., In colonial America, the almanac was an indispensable referenced work found in almost every home. Above is the first of five almanacs that Banneker produced., In his 20s, Banneker carved out the intricate wheels and gears of a wooden clock. The remarkable timepiece he built from memory kept time and struck the hours for the next fifty years.