Portal:Philadelphia

The Liberty Bell is an iconic symbol of American independence. Formerly placed in the steeple of the Pennsylvania State House (now renamed Independence Hall), the bell today is located in the Liberty Bell Center in Independence National Historical Park. The bell was commissioned in 1752 by the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly from the London firm of Lester and Pack (known subsequently as the Whitechapel Bell Foundry), and was cast with the lettering "Proclaim LIBERTY Throughout all the Land unto all the Inhabitants Thereof," a Biblical reference from the Book of Leviticus (25:10). The bell first cracked when rung after its arrival in Philadelphia, and was twice recast by local workmen John Pass and John Stow, whose last names appear on the bell. In its early years the bell was used to summon lawmakers to legislative sessions and to alert citizens about public meetings and proclamations. Many bells—most likely including the Liberty Bell—were rung on July 8, 1776 in Philadelphia to announce the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence, four days after its signing. In the 1830s, the bell was adopted as a symbol by abolitionist societies, who were the first to call it the Liberty Bell. The bell acquired its distinctive large crack in the early 19th century. A widespread story claims it cracked while ringing after the death of Chief Justice John Marshall in 1835. Beginning in 1885, the City of Philadelphia sent it to various expositions and patriotic gatherings. The bell attracted huge crowds wherever it went, additional cracking occurred and pieces were chipped away by souvenir hunters. The last journey occurred in 1915, after which all requests were refused. The city allowed the National Park Service to take custody of the bell after World War II, with the city retaining ownership. In 1976, the bell was moved from its longtime home in Independence Hall to a glass pavilion across the street on Independence Mall, and then to the larger Liberty Bell Center in 2003. The bell has a circumference of 12 ft (3.7 m), a diameter of 3.82 ft (1.16 m), and a mass of 2,080 lb (940 kg).

The Museum of the American Revolution is dedicated to telling the story of the American Revolution. The museum was opened to the public on April 19, 2017, the anniversary of the first battle of the war, Lexington and Concord, on April 19, 1775. The museum owns a collection of several thousand objects including artwork and sculpture, textiles and weapons, manuscripts and rare books.

Leonore Annenberg was a billionaire former Chief of Protocol of the United States. A prominent philanthropist, she was married to Walter Annenberg, who was an Ambassador to the United Kingdom and a business magnate. She served as the chairman and president of the Annenberg Foundation. Born in New York City and raised in Los Angeles, she graduated from Stanford University. After her first two marriages ended in divorce, she married business magnate Walter Annenberg, who was appointed U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom in 1969. In her role as the ambassador's wife, Leonore directed a major renovation of the ambassador's official residence. The Annenbergs contributed to Ronald Reagan's 1980 presidential campaign and upon his inauguration, Leonore was named Chief of Protocol, placing her in charge of advising the president, vice president, and Secretary of State on matters relating to diplomatic protocol. The Annenbergs became major philanthropists, donating money to education facilities, charitable causes, and the arts. Leonore served on many committees and boards as well. Following Walter Annenberg's death in 2002, she continued to donate money and promote the Annenberg Foundation.

• ... that Fox bought a Philadelphia TV station started by a Fox?
• ... that the Philadelphia School of Anatomy began as a private dissection room?
• ... that the unlicensed Willy's Chocolate Experience in Scotland led to a crossover event between the American television series Abbott Elementary and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia?
• ... that the editors of The Philadelphia Inquirer deliberately held back information from the newspaper's TV newscast, Inquirer News Tonight, so as not to be scooped?
• ... that in the same season Red Weiner played for the Philadelphia Eagles against the Reading Keys, and for the Reading Keys against the Philadelphia Eagles?
• ... that exhibits at Peale's Philadelphia Museum included the first nearly complete skeleton of a mastodon?
• ... that a Philadelphia TV station shut down because of a family feud?
• ... that the funds from the sale of burial lots at Cathedral Cemetery in Philadelphia were intended for the construction of the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul?

• August 1, 1944 - A five day Pennsylvania Transportation Company strike over the hiring of African American streetcar operators begins.
• August 3, 2003 - Lincoln Financial Field, the home of the Philadelphia Eagles, is opened.
• August 17, 1963 - The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority is chartered.
• August 28, 1964 - A race riot breaks out on West Columbia Avenue in North Philadelphia, and lasts for two days.

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