Lifting off into a yearlong, citywide celebration of Philly firsts.
There was a time when Philadelphia’s importance to America was immeasurable. We were the first planned city in the United States, declared the causes that impelled us to seek independence in 1776, demonstrated American resolve during the defense of Fort Mifflin in the Revolutionary War, and even served as the nation’s first capital.
Philadelphia has long been a place where ideas are tested, where risks are taken, and where “firsts” tend to happen in full view of the world. That identity is not new, but this year, the city is choosing to celebrate it in a very public, very tangible way.
Fifty-Two Weeks of Firsts
As part of Philadelphia’s lead-up to the nation’s 250th anniversary, a new citywide initiative called “52 Weeks of Firsts” is rolling out across the calendar year. Each week highlights something impactful that happened here first — science, culture, civic life, and history — marked by a custom-decorated sculpture of the number “1” placed at a meaningful location.
Each unveiling is its own small celebration, with music, activities, and entertainment. All are invited to experience Philadelphia history not as something distant or academic, but as living memories, rooted in specific places we can still visit today. The first of these weekly unveilings took place at one of the most fitting locations imaginable.
The Athenaeum of Philadelphia
If you love a good book in a cozy ambiance, you would love the Athenaeum of Philadelphia. It isn’t just another library in the city, it is the oldest subscription library in the United States, founded in 1814 and still standing as a place devoted to architecture, design, and historical inquiry.
The Athenaeum itself is a Philadelphia “first.” But the ground it sits on carries an even more historic distinction, one tied to a moment when the city lifted its eyes to the sky and saw the future of aviation.
On January 9, 1793, a crowd gathered at the yard of the Walnut Street Prison, just steps from where the Athenaeum now stands. Among those in attendance were members of the public, prominent civic leaders, and President George Washington himself.
They came to witness something no one in America had ever seen before: a human being take off into the sky and soar away like a bird!
That winter, French aeronaut Jean-Pierre Blanchard had brought his magnificent hydrogen-filled balloon to Philadelphia, and announced a daring feat: it would lift him into the frigid air above the city and carry him to across the Delaware River as he’d sailed over the English Channel eight years earlier.
When the balloon finally made its courageous ascent, it was more than a personal triumph for Blanchard. It marked the first piloted flight in the United States — and the first in the Western Hemisphere.
George Washington was no stranger to history-making moments, himself. He had attended both Continental Congresses in Philadelphia, signed the Constitution here in 1787, and served as the nation’s first president from the President’s House at Sixth and Market Streets. Yet even for Washington, this moment was something different.
As Blanchard prepared for liftoff, Washington provided him with a letter requesting that the aeronaut be granted safe passage wherever he landed. Blanchard, who spoke no English, presented the note to some very confused farmers in the field where he brought the balloon down near Deptford, New Jersey.
Unfortunately, neither one of them could read much but eventually more townspeople arrived to escort him to the ferry (he was back in the city that evening). This letter is widely believed to be the first United States passport, and Blanchard’s journey is considered the first delivery of mail by air in America. Two more Philly Firsts, for those of us counting at home.
The Big Picture
The location of the flight adds another layer of significance that spans the centuries.
The Walnut Street Prison, where the balloon took off, was itself the first penitentiary in the United States: a place that reflected Quaker values of reform, rehabilitation, and civic accountability. Today, the Athenaeum of Philadelphia builds on that exploratory foundation to nurture learning, creativity, and the preservation of knowledge.
Standing on the same ground during the unveiling, the past and present felt closely connected. It was easy to imagine being a part of the crowd gathered here more than two hundred years ago, watching something extraordinary unfold above their heads.
The balloon flight of January 1793 offered a rare moment of wonder and optimism. Seven months later, Philadelphia would be devastated by a Yellow Fever epidemic that killed an estimated 5,000 people and reshaped life in the city.
In that context, Blanchard’s ascent feels even more poignant: a demonstration of how history pivots between hope and hardship, sometimes in the same year, sometimes in the same place.
Pace Yourself
52 Weeks of Firsts doles out Philadelphia history in comfortable, accessible increments. There’s no push to absorb everything all at once – or all the same way. We’re invited to engage with different elements from our remarkable past week by week, location by location, story by story.
The first unveiling at the Athenaeum set the tone perfectly, connecting a living institution to a forgotten spectacle. It was a vivid reminder that Philadelphia has always been a city willing to look upward and forward at the same time.
With fifty-one more unveilings scheduled throughout the year, 52 Weeks of Firsts offers countless chances to rediscover the city’s layered past outside of textbooks and lecture halls. On sidewalks, in neighborhoods, and at landmarks many of us pass every day.
Philadelphia’s first manned flight may have lasted only a few hours, but its legacy still hangs in the air, a reminder that this city has never been afraid to try something bold, even when the whole world is watching.
The Athenaeum of Philadelphia
219 S. 6th Street | 215-925-2688
Open every day but Sunday; research by appointment
@philaathenaeum on Instagram and Facebook
Choose Your Own Adventure(s)
📅 A full calendar of “Firstivals,” including dates and locations across the city, is available at visitphilly.com.
🙌🎙️ Even better: there’s a podcast! Every week, local experts give flavor and context to that week’s featured first in 15 minutes or less. New episodes every Tuesday, listen wherever you get your podcasts (or watch the videos on youtube).
Thoughts? Questions? My friends, I love your feedback! Please click the links for more information, and reach out in the comments below. If you enjoyed this history, please see my previous story on Elfreths Alley, America’s oldest (and most haunted?) street.
😲ℹ️ Read the incredible story about Jean-Pierre Blanchard and the mortal price he (and his wife) paid for being the First Family of Flight in “Above and Beyond” (The Local, Dec 2023).
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