1776, nicknamed "Sev", is a character from the Rankin/Bass television special Rudolph's Shiny New Year. He is the historical figure who has preserved the Island of 1776, where time stands still on the celebration of the Fourth of July. He resembles Benjamin Franklin in both appearance and hobbies, as he first meets Happy, the Baby New Year, while flying a kite.
1776 takes Happy with him to see the island's daily Fourth of July parade, but this ends in disaster when Happy has to take off his hat in respect for the Stars and Stripes and everyone laughs at his huge ears, forcing him to leave once more, his feelings hurt yet again. After this happens, 1776 decides to help Rudolph track him down in order to save the flow of time.
They are able to track Happy, who had been kidnapped by Aeon the Terrible, to the Island of No Name, but Aeon hears their attempts to reach his nest and buries them in snow, with Rudolph the only one to escape thanks to his nose. Sev is later freed from his snowball when Aeon falls on top of him after falling out of his nest thanks to being pushed to laugh uproariously at Happy's big ears, thereby preventing him from turning to ice and snow upon his death as he couldn't now because of how much he was full of laughter and warmth. However, when Big Ben's tail clock begins to chime midnight, Sev fears they are too late to get Happy back to Father Time, but thanks to Santa Claus, they make it back to Father Time's castle in time for Happy to be crowned the new year.