This is a list of firsts achieved in Province of Pennsylvania during the colonial era and, following the American Revolution, the U.S. state of Pennsylvania.

Firsts 17th century 1688 — First public protest of slavery in America, Germantown (now part of Philadelphia)

18th century 1731 — First subscription library in the United States, Library Company of Philadelphia, founded by Benjamin Franklin 1732 — First social club in the English-speaking world, the Schuylkill Fishing Company of the State in Schuylkill, Philadelphia 1743 — First institution devoted to science, the American Philosophical Society, Philadelphia 1748 — First dancing organization in America, the Dancing Assemblies of Philadelphia 1748 — First Lutheran church body in North America, the Pennsylvania MinisteriumEric W. Gritsch, A History of Lutheranism, (Minneapolis:Fortress Press, 2002) p.175. 1751 — First hospital in America, the Pennsylvania Hospital 1754 — First (and only) surrender by George Washington, Fort Necessity 1762 — First lectures on anatomy in North America, Dr. William Shippen, Philadelphia 1765 — First medical school, University of Pennsylvania Medical School, which made Penn the first educational institution to become a university in the United States, Philadelphia 1766 — First organized hunting club in America, the Gloucester Fox Hunting Club near Philadelphia 1774 — First continuously serving unit in the United States military, the First Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry 1775 — Continental Marines founded, Tun Tavern, Philadelphia; now known as U.S. Marine Corps 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 1780 — First abolition law, while the state capital was in Philadelphia 1784 — First successful daily newspaper, The Pennsylvania Packet and Daily Advertiser, Philadelphia 1786 — First vessel ever moved by steam, Delaware River at Philadelphia, by John Fitch 1790 — First stock exchange in America, Philadelphia 1792 — First United States Mint, Philadelphia 1794 — First African Methodist Episcopal church, Mother Bethel A.M.E. Church, Philadelphia 1795 — First turnpike in the United States, Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike 1796 — First suspension bridge, Uniontown by James Finley

19th century 1805 — First art institution in the United States, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia 1805 — First covered bridge in the U.S., the Market Street Bridge (a.k.a. "the Permanent Bridge"), Philadelphia 1809 — First theater in the U.S., Walnut Street Theatre, Philadelphia 1816 — First wire cable suspension bridge, near Philadelphia, by Josiah White and Erskine Hazard 1821 — First pharmacy school, Philadelphia College of Pharmacy (now part of the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia) 1845 — First T-rail rolled in the U.S., Danville 1848 — First and only visual arts college for women in the United States, Moore College of Art & Design, Philadelphia 1856 — First national convention for the Republican Party, Musical Fund Hall, Philadelphia 1859 — First grand opera house in the United States still used for its original purpose, the Academy of Music, Philadelphia 1859 — First successful oil well, Titusville (Edwin L. Drake) 1861 — First pretzel factory, Julius Sturgis, Lititz 1863 — First Civil War battle north of the Mason–Dixon line, Hanover, J.E.B. Stuart vs. George Armstrong Custer 1866 — First mill in the U.S. dedicated exclusively to the process of making steel, Steelton Plant, near Harrisburg 1873 — First Roller Coaster, Jim Thorpe 1874 — First zoo, Philadelphia (chartered in 1859) 1876 — First World's Fair in the United States, the Centennial Exposition, Philadelphia 1877 — First department store opened, Wanamaker's, Philadelphia 1879 — First non-reservation school for Native Americans, Carlisle, Carlisle Indian School 1881 — First community illuminated by electricity, Philipsburg 1881 — First business school in the United States, Wharton School 1883 — First successful three-wire electric lighting system, Sunbury 1884 — First taxi service, Philadelphia; First Ukrainian Greek Catholic church in the Western Hemisphere, Shenandoah.

20th century 1901 — First escalator in the U.S., Philadelphia 1903 — First World Series, Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Pirates vs Boston Red Sox 1913 — First coast-to-coast highway, Lincoln Highway 1919 — First Thanksgiving Day Parade, Philadelphia 1920 — First commercial radio station, KDKA (AM) (Pittsburgh) 1922 — First municipal airport, Clarion, Parker D. Cramer airfield 1922 — First women (eight, including Martha Gibbons Thomas) elected to serve in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives 1924 — First woman to serve as Speaker of a State House of Representatives, Alice M. Bentley 1932 — First totally air conditioned building, Philadelphia, PSFS Building 1933 — First American-born bishop of the Eastern Orthodox Church, September 10, 1933, consecration of Benjamin (Basalyga) of Olyphant 1933 — First baseball stadium built for a Black team, Pittsburgh, Greenlee Stadium 1933 — First African-American woman to be elected a State Legislator, Crystal Bird Fauset 1939 — First Little League Baseball game, June 6, Williamsport. 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 1947 — First Little League World Series, Williamsport. 1948 — First cable television system, Mahanoy City 1952 — First indoor zoo - National Aviary, Pittsburgh 1957 — First American commercial nuclear generator, Shippingport Atomic Power Station 1970 — First African American female Secretary of State, Dr. C. DeLores Tucker, appointed under Gov. Milton Shapp 1974 — First successful conjoined twin separation, Philadelphia, Clara and Altagracia Rodriguez, at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia 1976 — First automotive bridge to be named for a woman, Betsy Ross Bridge, Philadelphia 1976 — First museum for young children, The "Please Touch Museum for Children" in Philadelphia 1977 — First African-American to serve as speaker of a state House of Representatives, K. Leroy Irvis of Pittsburgh 1999 — First license plate with a web site address

21st century 2003 — First Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, January 24, 2003, Tom Ridge 2003 — First Puerto Rican Secretary of State in the United States, outside of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, April 2, 2003, Pedro A. Cortés 2003 — First confirmed Latino Cabinet member, April 2, 2003, Pedro A. Cortés 2021 — First openly transgender four-star officer in the nation's eight uniformed services, Rachel Levine.

References