-
1688 — First public protest of slavery in America, Germantown, (now part of Philadelphia)
(17th Century) (Firsts) -
1731 — First subscription library, Library Company of Philadelphia, founded by Benjamin Franklin
(18th Century) (Firsts) -
1732 — First social club in the English-speaking world, the Schuylkill Fishing Company of the State in Schuylkill, Philadelphia
(18th Century) (Firsts) -
1743 — First institution devoted to science, the American Philosophical Society, Philadelphia
(18th Century) (Firsts) -
1748 — First dancing organization in America, the Philadelphia Dancing Assemblies
(18th Century) (Firsts) -
1748 — First Lutheran church body in North America, the Pennsylvania Ministerium
(18th Century) (Firsts) -
1751 — First hospital in America, the Pennsylvania Hospital
(18th Century) (Firsts) -
1754 — First (and only) surrender by George Washington, Fort Necessity
(18th Century) (Firsts) -
1762 — First lectures on anatomy in North America, Dr. William Shippen, Philadelphia
(18th Century) (Firsts) -
1765 — First medical school, Penn's Medical School (now The University of Pennsylvania), which made Penn the first educational institution to become a university in the United States, Philadelphia
(18th Century) (Firsts) -
1766 — First organized hunting club in America, the Gloucester Fox Hunting Club near Philadelphia
(18th Century) (Firsts) -
1774 — First continuously serving unit in the United States military, the First Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry
(18th Century) (Firsts) -
1775 — Continental Marines founded, Tun Tavern, Philadelphia; now known as U.S. Marine Corps
(18th Century) (Firsts) -
1777 — First United States Capital, Philadelphia. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was the first capital under the First Continental Congress from September 5, 1774 to October 24, 1774. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was the first capital under the Articles of Confederation from March 1, 1781 to June 21, 1783
(18th Century) (Firsts) -
1780 — First abolition law, while the state capital was in Philadelphia
(18th Century) (Firsts) -
1784 — First successful daily newspaper, The Pennsylvania Packet and Daily Advertiser, Philadelphia
(18th Century) (Firsts) -
1786 — First vessel ever moved by steam, Delaware River at Philadelphia, by John Fitch
(18th Century) (Firsts) -
1790 — First stock exchange in America, Philadelphia
(18th Century) (Firsts) -
1792 — First United States Mint, Philadelphia
(18th Century) (Firsts) -
1794 — First African Methodist Episcopal church, Mother Bethel A.M.E. Church, Philadelphia
(18th Century) (Firsts) -
1795 — First turnpike in the United States, Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike
(18th Century) (Firsts) -
1796 — First suspension bridge, Uniontown by James Finley
(18th Century) (Firsts) -
1805 — First art institution in America, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia
(19th Century) (Firsts) -
1805 — First covered bridge in America, the Market Street Bridge (a.k.a. "the Permanent Bridge"), Philadelphia
(19th Century) (Firsts) -
1809 — First theater in America, the Walnut Street Theatre, Philadelphia
(19th Century) (Firsts) -
1816 — First wire cable suspension bridge, near Philadelphia, by Josiah White and Erskine Hazard
(19th Century) (Firsts) -
1821 — First Pharmacy school, Philadelphia College of Pharmacy (now part of the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia)
(19th Century) (Firsts) -
1845 — First T-rail rolled in United States, Danville
(19th Century) (Firsts) -
1848 — First and only visual arts college for women in the United States, Moore College of Art & Design, Philadelphia
(19th Century) (Firsts) -
1856 — First national convention for the Republican Party, Musical Fund Hall, Philadelphia
(19th Century) (Firsts) -
1859 — First grand opera house in the United States still used for its original purpose, the Academy of Music, Philadelphia
(19th Century) (Firsts) -
1859 — First successful oil well, Titusville (Edwin L. Drake)
(19th Century) (Firsts) -
1861 — First pretzel factory, Julius Sturgis, Lititz
(19th Century) (Firsts) -
1862 — First Civil War battle north of the Mason–Dixon line, Hanover, J.E.B. Stuart vs. George Armstrong Custer
(19th Century) (Firsts) -
1866 — First mill in the United States dedicated exclusively to the process of making steel, Steelton Plant, near Harrisburg
(19th Century) (Firsts) -
1873 — First Roller Coaster, Jim Thorpe
(19th Century) (Firsts) -
1874 — First zoo, Philadelphia (chartered in 1859)
(19th Century) (Firsts) -
1876 — First World's Fair in the United States, the Centennial Exposition, Philadelphia
(19th Century) (Firsts) -
1877 — First department store opened, Wanamaker's, Philadelphia
(19th Century) (Firsts) -
1879 — First non-reservation school for Native Americans, Carlisle, Carlisle Indian School
(19th Century) (Firsts) -
1881 — First community illuminated by electricity, Philipsburg
(19th Century) (Firsts) -
1881 — First business school in the United States, the Wharton School
(19th Century) (Firsts) -
1883 — First successful three-wire electric lighting system, Sunbury
(19th Century) (Firsts) -
1884 — First taxi service, Philadelphia; First Ukrainian Greek Catholic church in the Western Hemisphere, Shenandoah.
(19th Century) (Firsts) -
1901 — First escalator in US, Philadelphia
(20th Century) (Firsts) -
1903 — First World Series, Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Pirates vs Boston Red Sox
(20th Century) (Firsts) -
1913 — First coast-to-coast highway, Lincoln Highway
(20th Century) (Firsts) -
1919 — First Thanksgiving Day Parade, Philadelphia
(20th Century) (Firsts) -
1920 — First commercial radio station, KDKA (AM) (Pittsburgh)
(20th Century) (Firsts) -
1922 — First municipal airport, Clarion, Parker D. Cramer airfield
(20th Century) (Firsts) -
1924 — First woman to serve as Speaker of a State House of Representatives, Alice M. Bentley
(20th Century) (Firsts) -
1932 — First totally air conditioned building, Philadelphia, PSFS Building
(20th Century) (Firsts) -
1933 — First American-born bishop of the Eastern Orthodox Church, September 10, 1933, consecration of Benjamin (Basalyga) of Olyphant
(20th Century) (Firsts) -
1933 — First baseball stadium built for a Black team, Pittsburgh, Greenlee Stadium
(20th Century) (Firsts) -
1933 — First African-American woman to be elected a State Legislator, Crystal Bird Fauset
(20th Century) (Firsts) -
1939 — First Little League Baseball game, June 6, Williamsport.
(20th Century) (Firsts) -
1946 — First large-scale, electronic, digital computer capable of being reprogrammed to solve a full range of computing problems, ENIAC, at The University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
(20th Century) (Firsts) -
1947 — First Little League World Series, Williamsport.
(20th Century) (Firsts) -
1948 — First cable television system, Mahanoy City
(20th Century) (Firsts) -
1952 — First indoor zoo - National Aviary, Pittsburgh
(20th Century) (Firsts) -
1957 — First American commercial nuclear generator, Shippingport Atomic Power Station
(20th Century) (Firsts) -
1970 — First African American female Secretary of State, Dr. C. DeLores Tucker, appointed under Gov. Milton Shapp
(20th Century) (Firsts) -
1974 — First successful conjoined twin separation, Philadelphia, Clara and Altagracia Rodriguez, at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
(20th Century) (Firsts) -
1977 — First African-American to serve as speaker of a state House of Representatives, K. Leroy Irvis of Pittsburgh
(20th Century) (Firsts) -
1976 — First automotive bridge to be named for a woman, Betsy Ross Bridge, Philadelphia
(20th Century) (Firsts) -
1976 — First museum for young children, The "Please Touch Museum for Children" in Philadelphia
(20th Century) (Firsts) -
1999 — First license plate with a web site address
(20th Century) (Firsts) -
2003 — First Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, January 24, 2003, Tom Ridge
(21st Century) (Firsts) -
2003 — First Puerto Rican Secretary of State in the United States, outside of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, April 2, 2003, Pedro A. Cortés
(21st Century) (Firsts) -
2003 — First confirmed Latino Cabinet member, April 2, 2003, Pedro A. Cortés
(21st Century) (Firsts) -
2007 — First picketing by the UMWA against any PA mine safety agency occurred in Uniontown, PA on September 14, 2007 against the PA Bureau of Mine Safety over a safety issue at the Cumberland Mine. Connelsville Daily Courier
(21st Century) (Firsts)
New Random Display Display All Items(71)