On this date in 1785, the first city directory in the United States was published. Fittingly, it was in the young country’s place of birth — Philadelphia. The directory’s title was “Macpherson’s Directory, for the City and Suburbs of Philadelphia.” It contained 6,250 resident names. The 1790 Census found Philadelphia’s population to be just over 28,500, making it America’s second largest urban place, behind perpetual first place New York City. Today, Philadelphia is the nation’s fifth largest city, with a population of over 1.5 million people. The 1785 Macpherson’s directory is available online, and it’s modern enough to have its own Facebook page. You can find more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau, online at <www.census.gov>.