Born in Boston on January 17, 1706, Franklin worked as an apprentice printer as a child. In 1723 he moved to Philadelphia, where he expanded his career as a printer by purchasing the Pennsylvania Gazette. In 1732, he also entered the competitive almanac business by publishing Poor Richard's Almanack, which became famous for its emphasis on the promotion of virtue through pithy proverbs and for the ironic humor offered by Franklin's impoverished alter ego. Franklin's extremely successful printing businesses also published a wide range of other materials, including government documents, currency, religious tracts, and books. Although he granted day-to-day control to his foreman in 1748, Franklin always associated himself with the business of printing. His last will and testament opens with the words, "I, Benjamin Franklin, of Philadelphia, printer."