HISTORY
In 1681, Charles II of England gave a large piece of land in the New World to Quaker William Penn, to pay back some money he owed to Penn's father. The new land was called Pennsylvania and its capital, Philadelphia, was founded on October 27, 1682. Philadelphia, which means "brotherly love," rapidly grew into North America's most important city.
An outbreak of yellow fever killed one-sixth of the population of Philadelphia in 1698. Such epidemics used to spread easily as the colonials generally washed no more than their hands and face for fear of endangering their health.
Elfreth's Alley is a street in Philadelphia which is referred to as "Our nation's oldest residential street," dating to 1702. There are 32 houses on the street, which were built between 1728 and 1836.
At age 17, Benjamin Franklin ran away to Philadelphia, seeking a new start in a new city, where he got a job working for a printing house. In time, he became a leading citizen of the city.
The first library in America, the Library Company of Philadelphia was established in 1731 by Benjamin Franklin.
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| Library and Surgeon's Hall, Fifth-street. |
Franklin was appointed postmaster of Philadelphia in 1737, having set up the first postal service there.
Franklin was elected to the Pennsylvania Assembly in 1750, serving there until 1764. He transformed Philadelphia by giving it a police force and insisting its streets were paved and kept clean and better lighted.
The nation’s first hospital was the Philadelphia Hospital. Co-founded in 1751 by Benjamin Franklin, the facility also includes the nation’s first medical amphitheater and the first medical library.
Philadelphia's famous symbol of American independence, the Liberty Bell, was commissioned from the London firm of Lester and Pack (today the Whitechapel Bell Foundry) in 1752, and was cast with the lettering (part of Leviticus 25:10) "Proclaim Liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof."
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| The Liberty Bell by Tony the Misfit on Flickr - Wikipedia |
The Liberty Bell was originally called the State House Bell. It was not commonly referred to by its present name until the mid-1800s, in coordination with the abolitionist movement.
The Liberty Bell was formerly placed in the steeple of the Pennsylvania State House (now renamed Independence Hall). The bell today is located in the Liberty Bell Center in Independence National Historical Park.
Philadelphia is home to the nation's first daily newspaper, the Philadelphia Packet and Daily Advertiser. Its first edition was published September 21, 1784.
On December 6, 1790 the capital city of the U.S. moved from New York City to Philadelphia. The move was prompted by the Residence Act of 1790, which had been passed by Congress earlier that year.
There were several reasons why Philadelphia was chosen as the new capital. First, it was a large and prosperous city with a well-established infrastructure. Second, it was located in a central location that was accessible to all of the states. Third, Philadelphia was the home of many influential politicians, including President George Washington.
The President's House at 6th & Market Streets, Philadelphia, served as the presidential mansion of George Washington and John Adams between 1790–1800.
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| President's House, Philadelphia. |
When President Washington was living in Philadelphia, the city had laws in place that said any slave that lived there for more than six months would be freed. So, Washington set up a rotational schedule exchanging his slaves between states to prevent their freedom.
The capital remained in Philadelphia for ten years, until 1800, when it officially moved to Washington, D.C.
A parade of one thousand African Americans began marching on Lombard Street, Philadelphia on the morning of August 1, 1842. They were celebrating the eighth anniversary of Jamaican Emancipation Day, commemorating the abolition of slavery in the West Indies. The marchers were attacked by a mob of Irish immigrants, leading to three days of riots.
In 1856, Philadelphia hosted the first Republican National Convention to nominate a presidential contender. Republicans nominated former Senator John Fremont of California for president and former Senator William Dayton of New Jersey for vice president.
Philadelphia is home to the USA's first public zoo. The zoological gardens was commissioned in 1859, though the opening was delayed due to the American Civil War. It eventually opened on July 1, 1874 with 1,000 animals and an admission price of 25 cents.
Philadelphia City Hall was designed by architect John McArthur Jr. to be the tallest building in the world, but both the Eiffel Tower and Washington Monument were completed before it and stood taller.
Philly's City Hall was the tallest occupied building from 1901 to 1909, when New York City's MetLife building was completed.
City Hall has been the world's tallest masonry building since the collapse of the pinnacle of the Mole Antonelliana in Turin in 1953
Hot dog seller Pat Olivieri invented the famous Philly Cheesesteak sandwich in the 1930s. Cheese was added to Oliveri's original recipe by his restaurant manager Joe Lorenza ten years later.
The US Mint, the largest in the world was built in Philadelphia in 1969.
Philadelphia is the fifth biggest city in the United States of America. The population of the city was 1,526.006 people in 2010.
Philadelphia is the only World Heritage City in the United States.
The Walnut Street Theatre is located at 825 Walnut Street on the corner of S. 9th Street in the Washington Square West neighborhood of Philadelphia. Founded in 1809, it is said to be the oldest continuously operating theatre in the English-speaking world and the oldest in the United States.
Philadelphia has more outdoor sculptures and murals than any other American city.
If you receive public funding for construction in Philadelphia, you have to dedicate a percentage to public space or art. It's in part why Philadelphia has the most murals of any American city.
The only known statue of Charles Dickens is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His will forbade a statue of any kind, and when one was made by admirers the family refused it. It is located in Clark Park at 43rd Street and Chester Avenue in the city's University City section. The English author is seen posing with Little Nell.
The city's major art museum, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, is one of the largest art museums in the United States. Its long flight of steps to the main entrance became famous after the 1976 movie Rocky.
Sources Geneva.edu/blog, Politico.com
A parade of one thousand African Americans began marching on Lombard Street, Philadelphia on the morning of August 1, 1842. They were celebrating the eighth anniversary of Jamaican Emancipation Day, commemorating the abolition of slavery in the West Indies. The marchers were attacked by a mob of Irish immigrants, leading to three days of riots.
In 1856, Philadelphia hosted the first Republican National Convention to nominate a presidential contender. Republicans nominated former Senator John Fremont of California for president and former Senator William Dayton of New Jersey for vice president.
Philadelphia is home to the USA's first public zoo. The zoological gardens was commissioned in 1859, though the opening was delayed due to the American Civil War. It eventually opened on July 1, 1874 with 1,000 animals and an admission price of 25 cents.
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| Philadelphia Zoo entrance, By Jim, the Photographer - Wikipedia |
Philadelphia City Hall was designed by architect John McArthur Jr. to be the tallest building in the world, but both the Eiffel Tower and Washington Monument were completed before it and stood taller.
Philly's City Hall was the tallest occupied building from 1901 to 1909, when New York City's MetLife building was completed.
City Hall has been the world's tallest masonry building since the collapse of the pinnacle of the Mole Antonelliana in Turin in 1953
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| Philadelphia City Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. By Versatile Aure. Wikipedia |
Hot dog seller Pat Olivieri invented the famous Philly Cheesesteak sandwich in the 1930s. Cheese was added to Oliveri's original recipe by his restaurant manager Joe Lorenza ten years later.
The US Mint, the largest in the world was built in Philadelphia in 1969.
FUN PHILADELPHIA FACTS
Philadelphia is the fifth biggest city in the United States of America. The population of the city was 1,526.006 people in 2010.
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| Philadelphia skyline as seen from the old South Street Bridge in November 2007 |
Philadelphia is the only World Heritage City in the United States.
The Walnut Street Theatre is located at 825 Walnut Street on the corner of S. 9th Street in the Washington Square West neighborhood of Philadelphia. Founded in 1809, it is said to be the oldest continuously operating theatre in the English-speaking world and the oldest in the United States.
Philadelphia has more outdoor sculptures and murals than any other American city.
If you receive public funding for construction in Philadelphia, you have to dedicate a percentage to public space or art. It's in part why Philadelphia has the most murals of any American city.
The only known statue of Charles Dickens is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His will forbade a statue of any kind, and when one was made by admirers the family refused it. It is located in Clark Park at 43rd Street and Chester Avenue in the city's University City section. The English author is seen posing with Little Nell.
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| By Beyond My Ken - Wikipedia |
The city's major art museum, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, is one of the largest art museums in the United States. Its long flight of steps to the main entrance became famous after the 1976 movie Rocky.
Sources Geneva.edu/blog, Politico.com
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