The 52 Weeks of Firsts Podcast

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. 

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.

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.

Host Marisa Magnatta sits down with Gracie Valdez, Artistic Director of Cirque du Soleil’s LUZIA, and Zorè España, a 6th-generation circus performer and Cyr wheel artist. Together, they trace the lineage of the American circus – from John Bill Ricketts’ 1793 "riding school" in Philadelphia to the multidisciplinary spectacle of the modern-day circus.

Host Marisa Magnatta dives into the story of Franklin Field, the pioneering stadium at the University of Pennsylvania that helped shape modern sports - from hosting the first Penn Relays and the earliest scoreboards to broadcasting college football on radio and television. Joined by longtime Penn Relays director Dave Johnson, the episode looks at how one Philadelphia stadium became a proving ground for innovation, and why its legacy still matters today.

Host Marisa Magnatta and Dr. Jen Caudle, Family Doctor and Medical Educator, unpack how two Philadelphians challenged the system and changed the way we study medicine in America - for good. Together, they trace the high-stakes rivalry between John Morgan and William Shippen Jr. and explore how a 1765 "start-up" evolved into the world-renowned Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

Host Marisa Magnatta and Tessa York, founder of Meet Your Matches, strike up the story of the humble matchbook - a practical fix dreamed up by a 19th-century patent lawyer that sparked a global advertising phenomenon. Together, they explore how Joshua Pusey’s small design tweak lit the fuse for collectible matchbooks, branding culture, and the nostalgic connection people still feel every time they flip one open.

Host Marisa Magnatta and Dr. Lara Devgan, board-certified plastic surgeon, entrepreneur, and founder of Lara Devgan Scientific Beauty, dig into the story of the first women’s medical college, and how its graduates were still denied full entry into the profession - even with formal training. They explore how early alumni faced resistance from hospitals, physicians, and pharmacists, and how one persistent graduate - Dr. Hannah Longshore - helped reshape the possibilities for women in medicine.

Marisa Magnatta reunites with Kathy Romano - a longtime Philly radio personality and the host of the Kathy Romano Show - to chat about the origins of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society and the creation of the very first Philadelphia Flower Show. Kathy brings her deep local perspective to explore how a family business, a community of growers, and one ambitious idea blossomed into nearly two centuries of gardening culture.

This episode traces how Germantown became the birthplace of the first public protest against slavery in America. Host Marisa Magnatta is joined by Marquise Davon Richards, a Philly-based educator and content creator whose work amplifies Black voices and challenges dominant narratives around race, identity, and liberation. Together, they explore how four German Quakers sparked a centuries‑long fight for Black freedom.

From a community forged through exclusion to a landmark born of global collaboration, this episode uncovers the story behind Philadelphia’s Friendship Arch: the first fully authentic Chinese gate in the U.S. Host Marisa Magnatta sits down with Kun-Yang Lin, acclaimed choreographer and founder Kun‑Yang Lin Dancers, to explore how immigration, artistry, diplomacy, and community power shaped this iconic symbol of Asian American pride and belonging.

This episode uncovers how one woman’s fight for her children sparked the creation of the Pennsylvania Abolition Society: the first organization of its kind in the world. Host Marisa Magnatta is joined by Philly Media Personality Tomika Bryant, to explore how Dinah Nevil, a woman of Lenape and African descent, forced the "City of Brotherly Love" to confront its own contradictions, and how a small group of reformers turned a personal tragedy into a blueprint for justice that still operates today.

From a segregated church pew to a national movement, this episode explores how an act of resistance in a Philadelphia church led to the founding of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Host Marisa Magnatta is joined by Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Elizabeth Wellington to unpack how faith, race, and self-determination shaped this origin story, and why Mother Bethel still matters today.

Before Girl Scout Cookies became a national phenomenon, they were sold door to door, and they launched generations of entrepreneurs. Host Marisa Magnatta is joined by Food Network champion and former Girl Scout Ashley Landerman to explore how a Philly-born bake sale became a powerful business model, and how those same lessons in confidence, community, and hustle shaped Ashley’s path from cookie booths to national TV.

Before packed arenas and superstar contracts, basketball was chaotic, physical, and played with peach  baskets, a soccer ball, and a cage. Host Marisa Magnatta is joined by Marc Anthony Jackson - former NBA player, Philly native, and current Philadelphia 76ers television analyst. Together, they connect basketball’s rough-and-tumble origins to the discipline, creativity, and edge that still define the sport today - and explains why Philly’s early role is baked into basketball’s DNA.

Former volunteer firefighter Marisa Magnatta is joined by Jason Patton, a 15-year firefighter/paramedic and the creator behind @firedepartmentchronicles. Together, they explore how 1730 Philadelphia, built almost entirely of wood and vulnerable to fires, forced Philadelphians to invent something radical: a volunteer fire company that protected everyone. Along the way, we uncover how Philadelphia set the tone for how communities come together to respond to crises.

Marisa Magnatta unpacks how a mashup of immigrant traditions fused in South Philadelphia to create America’s first folk parade. With roots stretching back to 1600s Swedish revelry, English mummers plays, German belsnickling, and centuries of neighborhood pageantry, this tradition evolved into the first official Mummers Day Parade in 1901. With WMMR’s Jackie BamBam, Marisa explores how this rowdy ritual became an essential part of Philly culture - and why it still owns New Year’s Day.

Marisa Magnatta digs into the wild story of America’s first balloon flight, featuring a French aeronaut, a hydrogen-filled silk balloon, a prison yard launch, and the first-ever airmail delivery. Joined by local weather mogul Nor'easter Nick (Nick Pittman), she explores what made this moment possible, what the weather likely looked like that day, and how ballooning went on to shape both aviation and modern forecasting.