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Philadelphia (/ˌfɪləˈdɛlfiə/ ⓘFIL-ə-DEL-fee-ə), colloquially referred to asPhilly, is themost populous city in the U.S. state ofPennsylvania. It is thesixth-most populous city in the United States with a population of 1.6 million at the2020 census, while the Philadelphia metropolitan area (sometimes called theDelaware Valley) with 6.33 million residents is the nation'sninth-largest metropolitan area. Philadelphia is known forits culture,cuisine, andhistory, maintaining contemporary influence inbusiness and industry, culture, sports, and music.
As of 2023[update], the Philadelphia metropolitan area had agross metropolitan product of US$557.6 billion and is home to 13Fortune 500 corporate headquarters. Metropolitan Philadelphia ranks as one of the nation's Big Fiveventure capital hubs, facilitated by its proximity to both thefinancial ecosystems of New York City and the regulatory environment of Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Philadelphia is also abiotechnology hub. ThePhiladelphia Stock Exchange, owned byNasdaq since 2008, is the nation's oldest stock exchange and a global leader inoptions trading.30th Street Station, the city's primary rail station, is thethird-busiest Amtrak hub in the nation with over 4.1 million passengers in 2023. The city'smultimodal transportation and logistics infrastructure includesPhiladelphia International Airport, thePhilaPort seaport, andInterstate 95, a primary component of the north–south highway system along theU.S. East Coast. (Full article...)
Thehistory of Philadelphia goes back to its founding in 1682 byWilliam Penn. The area had earlier been inhabited by theLenape (Delaware)Indians and European settlers who first arrived in the area in the early 1600s. Philadelphia quickly grew into an importantcolonial city and during theAmerican Revolution was the site of theFirst andSecond Continental Congresses. After the Revolution the city served as the temporary capital of theUnited States. At the beginning of the 19th century, the federal and state governments left Philadelphia, but the city was still the cultural and financial center of the country. Philadelphia became one of the first industrial centers in the United States, and the city contained a variety of industries, the largest beingtextiles. After theAmerican Civil War, Philadelphia's government was controlled by an increasingly corruptRepublicanpolitical machine and by the beginning of the 20th century the city was described as "corrupt and contented." Various reform efforts slowly changed city government with the most significant in 1950 when a new city charter strengthened the position ofmayor and weakened thePhiladelphia City Council. At the same time Philadelphia moved its support from the Republican Party to theDemocratic Party, which has since created a strong organization. The city's population began to decline in the 1950s as mostly white and middle-class families left for the suburbs. Many of Philadelphia's houses were in poor condition and lacked proper facilities, andgang andmafia warfare plagued the city. Revitalization andgentrification of certain neighborhoods started bringing people back to the city. Promotions and incentives in the 1990s and the early 21st century have improved the city's image and created acondominium boom inCenter City and the surrounding areas that has slowed the population decline.
Philadelphia has more outdoor sculptures and murals than any other American city. Many statues ofBenjamin Franklin can be found around town, including an elderly Franklin with a walking cane and paper in his hands seated on a bench along the Locust Walk inWest Philadelphia, within the campus of theUniversity of Pennsylvania, a university founded by Franklin.
Bart King was an Americancricketer, active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. King was one of thePhiladelphian cricketers that played from the end of the 19th century until the outbreak ofWorld War I. This period of cricket in the United States was dominated bygentleman players—men of independent wealth who did not need to work. King was an amateur from amiddle-class family, who was able to devote time to cricket thanks to a job set up by his teammates. King was a skilledbatsman, but proved his worth as abowler. During his career, he set numerous records in North America and led thefirst-class bowling averages in England in 1908. He successfully competed against the best cricketers from England and Australia. King was the dominant bowler on his team when it toured England in 1897, 1903, and 1908. He dismissed batsmen with his unique delivery, which he called the "angler," and helped develop the art ofswing bowling in the sport. Many of the great bowlers of today still use the strategies and techniques that he developed.Sir Pelham Warner described Bart King as one of the finest bowlers of all time, andDonald Bradman called him "America's greatest cricketing son."
"I love Philadelphia. I was shocked at what a great city this is. For me, it is the cat's pajamas. I love everything about it. I love where I live. I love the people. I have been met with such kindness and affection here."*
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