Portal:Philadelphia/Did you know? candidates

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Contents 1 The rules 2 Suggestions 2.1 Philadelphia's Present and Past World Superlatives 2.2 Colonial era 2.3 Revolutionary Era 2.4 Federal era 2.5 Art & culture 2.6 Sports 2.6.1 for baseball season 2.6.2 for football season 2.6.2.1 Iggles 2.6.2.2 Others 2.7 for November (election time)

[edit] The rules

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[edit] Suggestions

Did you know …

[edit] Philadelphia's Present and Past World Superlatives

• • … that the Wanamaker Organ, located at the Macy's department store, a National Historic Landmark in Center City, is the largest fully functional pipe organ in the world? Spikebrennan 13:47, 31 July 2006 (UTC)
  • … that the Benjamin Franklin Bridge was, when completed in 1926, the longest suspension bridge in the world.Spikebrennan 13:47, 31 July 2006 (UTC)

• • … that Philadelphia City Hall is the tallest masonry-supported building in the world?
    • … that, originally designed to be the world's tallest building, Philadelphia City Hall, by the time it was completed 30 years later, had already been surpassed by the Washington Monument and the Eiffel Tower?--BillFlis 17:54, 6 July 2007 (UTC)
  • … that in 1775, Philadelphia was the second-largest city in the British Empire?--Spikebrennan 13:47, 31 July 2006 (UTC) (actually, this may be an urban legend)
    • This page from the Smithsonian magazine says it was third, after London and Dublin. This page, fictional but apparently

well-researched, says third behind London and Edinburgh. But National Geographic says second-largest. The state of Pennsylvania says second-largest English-speaking city in the world; were they then speaking Gaelic in Dublin and Edinburgh?--BillFlis 17:33, 6 July 2007 (UTC)

• … that the "Bicentennial Moon Tree" in Washington Square is a sycamore grown from seeds that had been carried to the moon by astronaut Stuart Roosa during the Apollo XIV mission? Spikebrennan 20:10, 6 July 2007 (UTC)
• … that the Philadelphia Public Ledger, the first penny newspaper in Philadelphia, was printed on the first rotary printing press from 1846?--BillFlis (talk) 13:54, 12 April 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Colonial era

...that Fish House Punch is believed to have been first concocted in 1732 at Philadelphia’s fishing club, the Schuylkill Fishing Company.

...that the mouth of the Poquessing Creek on the Delaware River was first proposed as the site for William Penn's Philadelphia and that the surrounding area was known for a long time as "Old Philadelphia"?--BillFlis 20:42, 6 July 2007 (UTC)

...that Captain William Crispin, who was appointed Pennsylvania's first Provincial Commissioner, Surveyor General, and Chief Justice by William Penn, died at sea near Barbados on his way to Pennsylvania?--BillFlis 22:21, 25 July 2007 (UTC)

...that the success of Andrew Hamilton, a Scottish-American lawyer of colonial Philadelphia, in defending newspaper publisher John Peter Zenger is said to have given rise to the expression "Philadelphia lawyer", in the sense of a particularly adept and clever attorney, as in "It would take a Philadelphia lawyer to get him off"?--BillFlis 22:16, 25 July 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Revolutionary Era

… that the First Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry, founded in 1774, certainly the oldest mounted military unit and quite possibly the oldest military unit of any kind that has been in continuous service to the United States, fought in the battles of Trenton, Princeton, Brandywine, and Germantown and often served as General George Washington's personal bodyguard?--BillFlis 18:37, 6 July 2007 (UTC)

… that the Mischianza was an elaborate fête given in honor of British General Sir William Howe in Philadelphia on May 18, 1778, thrown by his corps of officers, who put up a sum of 3,312 guineas to pay for it? The events included a regatta along the Delaware River, accompanied by three musical bands and a 17-gun salute by British warships, a procession, a tournament of jousting knights, and a ball and banquet with fireworks display.--BillFlis 18:52, 6 July 2007 (UTC)

… that General "Mad Anthony" Wayne supposedly got his nickname because he was struck in the skull by a musket ball during the Battle of Stony Point, which was treated by cranioplasty, a side effect of which was occasional seizures that would cause Wayne to fall on the ground spasmodically and foam at the mouth?^{[citation needed]} --BillFlis 22:25, 30 November 2007 (UTC)

… that, before the Revolution, Oswald Eve's powder mill in Frankford was the only one in operation in the colonies? By January 1776, Eve had a contract with the Continental Congress to supply gunpowder at $8 per hundredweight. However, in March 1778, he was attainted of treason for trading with the British, and all his property, including the mill and 202 acres, were confiscated.--BillFlis (talk) 18:04, 25 April 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Federal era

… that in 1803 Thomas Jefferson sent Meriwether Lewis to Philadelphia to prepare for the Lewis and Clark Expedition under the tutelage of Dr. Benjamin Rush, who taught Lewis about frontier illnesses and the technique of bloodletting, and provided the Corps of Discovery with a medical kit that included fifty dozen of Dr. Rush's Bilious Pills, laxatives containing more than 50% mercury, which the corps called "thunderclappers"?--BillFlis 12:45, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

… that the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793 claimed 5,000 lives in Philadelphia, about 10% of the city's population?--BillFlis 11:50, 24 October 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Art & culture

… that snapper soup, a Philadelphia specialty made from the flesh of snapping turtles, was the favorite food of President William Howard Taft, who brought a special chef into the White House for the specific purpose of preparing it?--BillFlis 22:16, 25 July 2007 (UTC)

… that, of the 158 National Historic Landmarks in Pennsylvania, 64 are in Philadelphia?--BillFlis 22:07, 3 November 2007 (UTC)

… that the Headhouse in New Market (a National Historic Landmark) is a former firehouse, built in 1804, the oldest in the U.S.?--BillFlis (talk) 14:09, 29 December 2007 (UTC)

… that Agnes Irwin, who in 1869 founded the Young Ladies' School of Philadelphia, later re-named the Agnes Irwin School, now a private PreK-12 school for girls in suburban Rosemont, Pennsylvania, was the first dean of Radcliffe College?--BillFlis 21:02, 6 July 2007 (UTC)

… that Dr. Albert C. Barnes, founder and benefactor of the Barnes Foundation, an educational art institution, made his considerable fortune from his co-development of the early antimicrobial drug Argyrol?--BillFlis 12:32, 24 October 2007 (UTC)

… that the Walnut Street Theatre is the oldest continuously operating theatre in the English-speaking world?--BillFlis 22:18, 3 November 2007 (UTC)

… that, when in 1976 Robert Indiana removed his LOVE sculpture from John F. Kennedy Plaza when the city failed to come up with his $45,000 price, Fitz Eugene Dixon, Jr. bought it for $35,000 and gave it to the city. The plaza has since come to be known popularly as LOVE Park.--BillFlis (talk) 18:20, 25 April 2008 (UTC)

… that noted architect Frank Furness was awarded the Medal of Honor for his bravery at the Battle of Trevilian Station during the American Civil War?--BillFlis (talk) 18:42, 25 April 2008 (UTC)

… that four-time Grammy Award-winning Boyz II Men is, based on sales, the most successful R&B male vocal group of all time, with five #1 R&B hits between 1992 and 1997 and sales of more than 60 million records?--BillFlis (talk) 18:56, 25 April 2008 (UTC)

… that Rebecca Gratz, the first Jewish female college student in the United States, is said to have been the model of Rebecca, the heroine of the novel Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott?--BillFlis (talk) 21:01, 1 May 2008 (UTC)

… that the Centennial International Exhibition of 1876, the first world's fair in the United States, attracted about 10 million visitors, equivalent to about 20% of the nation's population at the time?--BillFlis (talk) 11:45, 2 May 2008 (UTC)

… that the Carl Mackley Houses, opened in 1935, was the first housing project funded by the Public Works Administration?--BillFlis (talk) 19:09, 3 May 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Sports

… that there have been four professional sports teams in Philadelphia known as the Quakers?--BillFlis 20:39, 6 July 2007 (UTC)

[edit] for baseball season

• … that there have been three major-league baseball teams in Philadelphia known as the Athletics?--BillFlis 20:37, 6 July 2007 (UTC)

[edit] for football season

[edit] Iggles

… that Tom Woodeshick, who played nine seasons at running back with the Philadelphia Eagles, made an uncredited appearance in the film MASH?--BillFlis 21:51, 6 July 2007 (UTC)

… that Timmy Brown, three-time Pro-Bowler for the Philadelphia Eagles in the 1960s, appeared in both the film MASH and the TV series of the same name?--BillFlis 21:51, 6 July 2007 (UTC)

… that Lud Wray, who played football at the University of Pennsylvania, was the first coach of both the Boston Braves (now Washington Redskins) in 1932 and of the Philadelphia Eagles, 1933-1935?--BillFlis 20:54, 6 July 2007 (UTC)

… that Pete Retzlaff, five-time Pro Bowler for the Philadelphia Eagles, despite never having caught a pass in college, led the NFL in 1958 with 56 receptions?--BillFlis 22:31, 25 July 2007 (UTC)

… that Jerry Wolman, one-time owner of the Philadelphia Eagles, initiated the development of the John Hancock Center, a 100-story skyscraper in Chicago, but was forced off the project because of his financial difficulties?--BillFlis 20:12, 6 July 2007 (UTC)

… that former Eagles defensive back and coach Irv Cross went on to become an NFL analyst and commentator for CBS Sports from 1971, when he became the first African-American sports analyst on national television, to 1994, including anchoring The NFL Today from its inception in 1975 through 1989?--BillFlis 19:31, 27 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Others

… that Philadelphia's first National Football League team, the defunct Frankford Yellow Jackets, led by Hall-of-Fame player-coach Guy Chamberlin, won the NFL championship in 1926?--BillFlis 20:09, 6 July 2007 (UTC)

… that Wally Triplett (b. 18 April 1926), a graduate of Cheltenham High School, was the first African-American to be drafted by and play for a National Football League team?--BillFlis 18:07, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

… that Emlen Tunnell, who was born in the Main Line community of Garrett Hill, was the first African-American football player to be inducted into the Professional Football Hall of Fame?--Spikebrennan 14:12, 5 September 2007 (UTC)

[edit] for November (election time)

… that in the 1745 election for the then-non-paying office of Mayor of Philadelphia, Alderman Abraham Taylor was elected but refused to serve, for which he was fined thirty pounds? Council then elected Joseph Turner, who also refused and was likewise fined.--BillFlis 13:55, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

… that Virginia Knauer (b. 1915), who was the first woman elected to the Philadelphia City Council, served as chief consumer advisor to Pennsylvania Governor Raymond P. Shafer, then to Presidents Richard Nixon (she was the first to hold the post of U.S. Consumer Advocate) and Gerald Ford (1969-1977) and later to Ronald Reagan (1981-1983)?--BillFlis 22:24, 25 July 2007 (UTC)

… that Bernard Samuel, who held office from 1941 to 1952, was the last Republican mayor of Philadelphia?--BillFlis 20:48, 6 July 2007 (UTC)