Philadelphia is known for more "firsts" than any other city in the U. S.!

Just to name a few...

• Philadelphia was the first "planned city" in North America, founded by William Penn in 1682
• First public grammar school, William Penn Charter School, founded in 1689
• First life insurance company, The Presbyterian Minister's Fund, was opened in 1717
• First botanical garden, Bartram’s Gardens, opened in 1728
• Nation’s First public library, founded by Benjamin Franklin in 1731
• First volunteer fire department, the Union Fire Company, found by Benjamin Franklin in 1736
• The Pennsylvania Hospital, founded by Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Bond, opened its doors in 1752 – the First hospital in America.
• First Medical school
• First children’s hospital
• First cancer hospital
• First eye hospital
• First nursing school
• First dental school
• Lightning being electricity was discovered by Benjamin Franklin in 1752
• First flag of the United States was sewn in Philadelphia in 1777 by Betsy Ross
• First university in America, the University of Pennsylvania, founded in 1779
• Pennsylvania Bank, the first American public bank, opened in 1780
• First capital of the United State from 1790-1800
• First stock exchange in the United States, organized in 1790
• First mint in the United States opened in Philadelphia in 1792
• First municipal water system in the country, the Philadelphia Water Works, began operation in 1799
• First art school and art museum in America, was founded in Philadelphia in 1805
• The oldest continually operating horticultural society, organized in 1827, The Philadelphia Flower Show, first held in 1829
• 1874 the Philadelphia Zoo became the first zoo to open in the United States
• First World’s Fair held in the new world was held in Philadelphia in 1876 to mark the centennial of the United States.
• The PSFS Building in downtown Philadelphia became the nation's fist modern skyscraper, opened its doors in 1932.
• World’s first computer, ENIAC, was built at the University of Pennsylvania in 1946