15 Facts About Kenneth Franklin

Kenneth Linn Franklin was an American astronomer and educator.

Kenneth Franklin was often a local and national media figure including during Apollo 11, the first human mission to the moon, when Franklin was an on-camera astronomy expert for NBC.

Kenneth Franklin was born in Alameda, California to Myles Arthur and Ruth Linn Kenneth Franklin.

Kenneth Franklin began working at the Hayden Planetarium the same year.

Kenneth Franklin appeared on a CBS Sputnik special in 1957, appeared on CBS for the landing of Surveyor 1 in 1966, and was on NBC for Apollo 8, Apollo 10, and Apollo 11 in 1968 and 1969.

Kenneth Franklin became the astronomy editor for the World Almanac from 1968 to 1996 and was on the editorial panel of Science Digest from 1970 to 1985.

From 1973 to 1979, Kenneth Franklin was the Public Affairs Officer for the American Astronomical Society.

Kenneth Franklin taught at several universities and colleges on the American east coast including New York University, City University of New York, and Cooper Union.

Kenneth Franklin lectured at Columbia School of Journalism and the United States Military Academy and was an adjunct professor at Rutgers University for three and a half years.

Kenneth Franklin was part of a visiting lecturer program and in 1973 and 1980, he led tours to Africa to observe solar eclipses.

Kenneth Franklin contributed almanac information including the time of sunrise to The New York Times from 1975 to 1997.

Kenneth Franklin contributed all of the astronomical calculations for the Farmers' Almanac from 1980 to 1992.

Kenneth Franklin lived in Loveland, Colorado until his death in Boulder from heart surgery complications.

Kenneth Franklin was survived by his wife, three daughters, six grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren.

Kenneth Franklin was a member of the all-male literary banqueting club the Trap Door Spiders, which served as the basis of Isaac Asimov's fictional group of mystery solvers the Black Widowers.