Famous foods
- cheesesteaks (cheese, ribeye steak slices, and onions, all fried together and served on a hoagie roll); hoagies (known in other parts of the country as heroes or subs); scrapple (corn meal mush and pig parts); Italian water ice (frozen, flavored, mushy ice); and soft pretzels (just what the name suggests, but bigger than the hard variety).
Famous native sons and daughters
- Marian Anderson, Kevin Bacon, Pearl Bailey, John Barrymore, Wilt Chamberlain, John Coltrane, Bill Cosby, Grace Kelly, Mario Lanza, Will Smith, Benjamin Franklin (he was actually born in Boston, but few in Philadelphia know this).
Famous firsts
- First public school in the American colonies (1698); first public library (1731); first U.S. flag, made by Betsy Ross (1777); first Congress of the United States (1789); first U.S. law school, at the University of Pennsylvania (1790); first zoo (1847); first World's Fair held in America (1876).
Famous Ben Franklin aphorisms
- Haste makes waste. Speak little, do much. You may delay, but time will not. He that lies down with dogs, shall rise up with fleas. No gains without pains. He is ill-clothed that is bare of virtue. Honey will catch more flies than vinegar. He that falls in love with himself, will have no rivals. If passion drives, let reason hold the reins.
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