The 52 Weeks of Firsts Podcast

First Annual Reminder Demonstration

Most people think Stonewall was where the LGBTQ+ rights movement began, but Philadelphia got there first. This episode tells the story of the first Annual Reminder Demonstration, a series of Independence Day protests held at Independence Hall years before Stonewall, and how a simple act of holding hands helped ignite the modern Pride movement. Host Marisa Magnatta is joined by Rue Landau, Philadelphia City Councilmember At-Large, civil rights attorney, and the first openly LGBTQ+ member of Philadelphia City Council.

First U.S. Army

This episode tells the story of how thirteen fractured colonies — each with their own militias, customs, and loyalties — were forged into a single fighting force: the Continental Army. Host Marisa Magnatta is joined by Matthew Skic, Director of Collections and Exhibitions at the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia, whose award-winning curatorial work on the Revolutionary War brings the look, feel, and human drama of America's first army vividly to life.

First American Flag

Marisa sits down with Betsy Ross herself to dig into the story of the first American flag, the remarkable woman behind it, and why her story still resonates nearly 250 years later.

First Steamboat for Passengers and Freight

This episode tells the story of the strange, smoke-belching invention that changed transportation forever: the first successful steamboat for passengers and freight, launched on the Delaware River by an almost-forgotten inventor named John Fitch. Host Marisa Magnatta is joined by Mike Madeja, whose work bringing maritime history to life offers a unique window into the ambition, risk-taking, and river culture that shaped early America.

First World’s Fair on American Soil

This episode explores the remarkable story of how Philadelphia hosted the 1876 Centennial Exhibition: the first World's Fair ever held in the United States – and in doing so, introduced the world to the telephone, the typewriter, ketchup, and a new vision of American identity. Host Marisa Magnatta is joined by John Sigmund, Director of Partnerships & Sponsorships at the Fairmount Park Conservancy and a resident caretaker of the very park where it all happened.

First Hospital in America

This episode uncovers the Philadelphia origins of American medicine. Host Marisa Magnatta is joined by the CEO of Penn Medicine, Kevin Mahoney, to explore the remarkable story of how two Philadelphia icons, a doctor and a founding father, made it so that healthcare could be more accessible to the working-class public by starting the first ever hospital in America, changing the trajectory of medicine for good. 

First Mother’s Day

This episode dives into the Philadelphia roots of Mother’s Day. Host Marisa Magnatta is joined by journalist, content creator, and new mom Holly Jones to explore the remarkable story of Anna Jarvis, the woman who fought to establish Mother's Day as a national holiday…and then spent the rest of her life trying to take it back.

First American-Made Piano and Sousaphone

Welcome to the city of harmony! This episode dives into Philadelphia music history, with the first American-made piano and world’s first sousaphone. Host Marisa Magnatta is joined by musician and historian Dave Detwiler to learn about the innovators who introduced these instruments to America, and how this impacted how we experience and make music to this day. 

First Postmaster

Host Marisa Magnatta is joined by Lynn Heidelbaugh, Curator at the Smithsonian National Postal Museum, to chat about the origins of America’s postal system through the story of its first Postmaster General, Benjamin Franklin. Together, they unpack how early postal innovations changed the flow of information, why that shift made those in power uneasy, and what it reveals about the way we communicate today.

First Botanical Garden

This episode explores Bartram’s Garden, the oldest surviving botanical garden in the United States, and how its legacy of curiosity, experimentation, and plant‑powered joy continues today. Host Marisa Magnatta is joined by Christopher Griffin, better known as Plant Kween: an educator, author, and unapologetic champion of botanical self‑care. Together, they dig into how this historic landscape shaped American horticulture and why green spaces remain essential for community, creativity, and collective well‑being.