Major General James G. Blunt

The history of Philadelphia goes back to its founding in 1682 by William Penn. The area had earlier been inhabited by the Lenape (Delaware) Indians and European settlers who first arrived in the area in the early 1600s. Philadelphia quickly grew into an important colonial city and during the American Revolution was the site of the First and Second Continental Congresses. After the Revolution the city served as the temporary capital of the United States. At the beginning of the 19th century, the federal and state governments left Philadelphia, but the city was still the cultural and financial center of the country. Philadelphia became one of the first industrial centers in the United States, and the city contained a variety of industries, the largest being textiles. After the American Civil War, Philadelphia's government was controlled by an increasingly corrupt Republican political machine and by the beginning of the 20th century the city was described as "corrupt and contented." Various reform efforts slowly changed city government with the most significant in 1950 when a new city charter strengthened the position of mayor and weakened the Philadelphia City Council. At the same time Philadelphia moved its support from the Republican Party to the Democratic Party, which has since created a strong organization. The city's population began to decline in the 1950s as mostly white and middle-class families left for the suburbs. Many of Philadelphia's houses were in poor condition and lacked proper facilities, and gang and mafia warfare plagued the city. Revitalization and gentrification of certain neighborhoods started bringing people back to the city. Promotions and incentives in the 1990s and the early 21st century have improved the city's image and created a condominium boom in Center City and the surrounding areas that has slowed the population decline.

The Merchants' Exchange Building is a historic building located on the triangular site bounded by Dock Street, Third Street, and Walnut Street in the Old City neighborhood of Philadelphia. The building was designed by architect William Strickland, in the Greek Revival style, and built between 1832 and 1834. The exchange operated as a brokerage house in the nineteenth century, but by 1875 the Philadelphia Stock Exchange had taken its place. The building was declared a National Historic Landmark in 2001 due to its significance as the oldest extant stock exchange building in the country. Independence National Historical Park's headquarters are located in the building.

Noam Chomsky is an American linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, historian, social critic, and political activist. Born to middle-class Ashkenazi Jewish immigrants in Philadelphia, he is sometimes described as "the father of modern linguistics." Chomsky is also a major figure in analytic philosophy and one of the founders of the field of cognitive science. He is the author of over 100 books on topics such as linguistics, war, politics, and mass media. Chomsky developed an early interest in anarchism. He began studies at the University of Pennsylvania at the age of 16, taking courses in linguistics, mathematics, and philosophy. From 1951 to 1955 he was appointed to Harvard University's Society of Fellows, where he developed the theory of transformational grammar for which he was awarded his doctorate in 1955. Chomsky emerged as a significant figure in the field of linguistics in 1957 for his landmark work Syntactic Structures. He is credited as the creator or co-creator of the universal grammar theory, the generative grammar theory, the Chomsky hierarchy, and the minimalist program. Chomsky also played a pivotal role in the decline of behaviorism. One of the most cited scholars in history, Chomsky has influenced a broad array of academic fields. He is widely recognized as a paradigm shifter who helped spark a major revolution in the human sciences, contributing to the development of a new cognitivistic framework for the study of language and the mind. In addition to his continued scholarly research, he remains a leading critic of U.S. foreign policy, neoliberalism and contemporary state capitalism, the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, and mainstream news media. His ideas have proved highly significant within the anti-capitalist and anti-imperialist movements, but have also drawn criticism, with some accusing Chomsky of anti-Americanism.

• ... that Glenwood Memorial Gardens in Broomall, Pennsylvania, was initially established in 1849 as Glenwood Cemetery in North Philadelphia and contained the graves of 702 Union soldiers?
• ... that James van Riemsdyk once scored a goal for the Philadelphia Flyers on a puck that bounced off of his face and into the net?
• ... that Holy Trinity Church in Philadelphia, established in 1784, was the first national parish in the United States?
• ... that in 2018, Donald Trump disinvited the Philadelphia Eagles from a Super Bowl LII victory ceremony at the White House after several players said they were not going to attend?
• ... that the 1914 Lubin vault fire in Philadelphia destroyed several thousand unique early silent films?
• ... that in the 1932 baseball game in which pitcher Eddie Rommel won his last game, he pitched 17 innings in relief, an American League record?
• ... that the Octavius V. Catto Memorial, unveiled in 2017, contains the first statue on Philadelphia public property of a specific African American?
• ... that Leverington Cemetery has the most orbs and apparitions in Philadelphia?

• April 2, 1792 - The Philadelphia Mint is established by the United States Congress.
• April 12, 1909 - Connie Mack Stadium, then known as Shibe Park, opened.
• April 17, 1847 - The Evening Bulletin, which at one point would become the most circulated evening newspaper in the U.S., is founded.

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