Many things we take for granted in current society actually had their beginnings in colonial America. And many beginnings in colonial America took place in Philadelphia. The first known life insurance company was called the Corporation for Relief of Poor and Distressed Widows and Children of Presbyterian Ministers chartered this month in 1759. Given the [...]

One of the most versatile and gifted people in American history announced the invention of bifocal eyeglasses this month in 1785. Benjamin Franklin had been using one pair of glasses to read with and another for distant vision. Tired of switching between pairs, he had the two pairs of lenses cut in half and mounted [...]

Gas prices are a frequent cause for consumer complaint –but at least purchases aren’t restricted, as they were beginning this month in 1942. That’s when 17 states began rationing gasoline to help the war effort. By December, rationing was nationwide and remained in effect until the end of World War II, along with a national [...]

The New York Stock Exchange, by signaling business prospects through share prices, has long been a bellwether of the nation’s economic health. The exchange started on this date in 1792, as some two dozen merchants and brokers established an organized approach to their buying and selling. In good weather, they operated under a Buttonwood tree [...]

Flying became more comfortable — this week in 1930 — when United Airlines made the first flight with an airline stewardess, Ellen Church. She tended passengers on a May 15th flight from Oakland, California to Chicago. The criteria for the job was that she could be no older than 25, no taller than 5 feet, [...]

This week, we honor those civil servants to whom we owe much, including the peace and safety of our neighborhoods. It’s National Police Week, signed into law in 1962 by President John Kennedy, designating this day as Peace Officers Memorial Day. Nationwide, hundreds of police departments will have held observances during the week leading up [...]

This week is the 94th annual Children’s Book Week –encouraging the joy of reading for young people. The idea began in 1913 with a drive by the librarian of the Boy Scouts, Franklin Matthiews, to promote higher standards in children’s books. He got two other key people to join him — the editor of Publisher’s [...]