Did Benjamin Franklin know Beethoven

Answer 1

Not likelly. Because Benjamin Franklin lived between January 17, 1706 to April 17, 1790) and Ludwig van Beethoven baptised 17 December 1770, when Franklin was 64 years old. Beethoven died the 26th of March, 1827, and the most compelling piece of information is that Beethoven was just starting to become famous in his native country in his early 20's, that is in the 1790's, the time when Ben Franklin would have been dead already.

So, no, no change that Franklin heard of a famous German pianist when he was still alive.