History of Philadelphia in Timeline

Philadelphia, or Philly, is Pennsylvania's most populous city and the sixth-most populous in the United States, with over 1.6 million residents in 2020. It is the central city of the Delaware Valley, also known as the Philadelphia metropolitan area. This metropolitan area is the eighth-largest in the U.S., with around 6.245 million residents. The combined statistical area has approximately 7.366 million residents.

1901: Philadelphia Athletics Played in Philadelphia

From 1901 to 1954, the Oakland Athletics baseball team, originally the Philadelphia Athletics, played in Philadelphia.

1902: Renaming to Philadelphia Electric Company (PECO)

In 1902, the Brush Electric Light Company of Philadelphia was renamed Philadelphia Electric Company (PECO).

1905: Market-Frankford Line Opens (West)

In 1905, the subway section of the Market-Frankford Line running east-west under Market Street opened to the west of City Hall.

1908: Market-Frankford Line Opens (East)

In 1908, the subway section of the Market-Frankford Line running east-west under Market Street opened to the east of City Hall.

1909: Water Works Decommissioned

In 1909, the Fairmount Water Works was decommissioned as the city transitioned to modern sand filtration methods.

1910: General Strike in 1910

In 1910, a general strike shut down the entire city of Philadelphia.

1911: Electric Trolley System

In 1911, Philadelphia had nearly 4,000 electric trolleys running on 86 lines.

August 1912: First Experimental Radio License Issued

In August 1912, the first experimental radio license was issued in Philadelphia to St. Joseph's College.

1917: City Council Shrinking in 1917

In 1917, the City Council of Philadelphia shrunk from two houses to one following outrage over the murder of a police officer.

August 7, 1918: Highest Recorded Temperature on August 7, 1918

The highest recorded temperature was 106 °F (41 °C) on August 7, 1918.

July 1919: Race Riot during Red Summer in July 1919

In July 1919, Philadelphia was one of more than 36 industrial cities nationally to experience a race riot during the Red Summer.

1922: Lowest Annual Rainfall in 1922

In 1922, the average annual rate of rainfall was 29.31 in (744 mm)

1922: First Commercial AM Radio Stations Begin Broadcasting

In 1922, the first commercial AM radio stations began broadcasting in Philadelphia, including WIP, WFIL, WOO, WCAU, and WDAS.

1925: Philadelphia Daily News First Published

In 1925, the Philadelphia Daily News was first published.

1928: Broad Street Line Opens (Initial Stage)

In 1928, the Broad Street Line running north-south beneath Broad Street opened in stages.

1930: African-American Population Increase in 1930

By 1930, the African-American population of Philadelphia increased to 219,559, primarily due to the Great Migration from the South.

1932: First International Style Skyscraper in 1932

In 1932, Philadelphia became home to the first modern International Style skyscraper in the United States, the PSFS Building.

1932: Roosevelt Loses Philadelphia

In 1932, Philadelphia was one of the few areas not carried by Franklin D. Roosevelt in his landslide victory, with Pennsylvania being one of only six states won by Republican Herbert Hoover.

February 9, 1934: Lowest Officially Recorded Temperature on February 9, 1934

The lowest officially recorded temperature was −11 °F (−24 °C) on February 9, 1934.

1936: Roosevelt Carries Philadelphia

In 1936, Roosevelt carried Philadelphia with over 60% of the vote.

1937: PHA Establishment in 1937

In 1937, the Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) was established.

1938: Broad Street Line Opens (Final Stage)

In 1938, the Broad Street Line running north-south beneath Broad Street completed its opening in stages.

1938: Independence Day Formalization in 1938

In 1938, the celebration of the Declaration of Independence was formalized as Independence Day.

1939: W3XE Becomes NBC Affiliate

In 1939, W3XE became the nation's first NBC affiliate, later becoming KYW-TV, the Philadelphia television market's CBS affiliate.

1940: Non-Hispanic White Population in 1940

In 1940, non-Hispanic whites made up 86.8% of the city's population.

1946: Golden State Warriors Played in Philadelphia

From 1946 to 1962, the Golden State Warriors basketball team played in Philadelphia.

1947: Area Code 215 Assigned

In 1947, Southeastern Pennsylvania was assigned the 215 area code when the North American Numbering Plan went into effect.

1950: Population Decline Beginning in 1950

In 1950 Philadelphia population began to decline.

1950: Record High Population

In 1950, Philadelphia recorded a record high population of 2,071,605.

1950: Population Peak in 1950

In 1950, Philadelphia's population peaked at over two million residents.

January 1952: New Officials Take Office Under Home Rule Charter

In January 1952, the newly elected officials took office under the new Home Rule Charter in Philadelphia.

1952: Start of Democratic Mayors

For over seven decades, since 1952, every Philadelphia mayor has been a Democrat.

1952: Bandstand Premieres

In 1952, Bandstand, a teen dance party program, premiered on local television, hosted by Bob Horn.

1952: City Assumes County Functions

In 1952, all county functions were assumed by the city in Philadelphia.

1954: Philadelphia Athletics Moved

From 1901 to 1954, the Oakland Athletics baseball team, originally the Philadelphia Athletics, played in Philadelphia.

1954: La Salle Wins NCAA Championship

In 1954, La Salle won the championship of the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament.

1955: Philadelphia Historical Commission Creation in 1955

In 1955, the Philadelphia Historical Commission was created.

1957: American Bandstand Syndication

In 1957, Bandstand was renamed American Bandstand and began national syndication on ABC, hosted by Dick Clark.

1959: Percent for Art Ordinance

In 1959, lobbying by the Artists Equity Association helped create the Percent for Art ordinance, the first for a U.S. city.

1962: Golden State Warriors Moved

From 1946 to 1962, the Golden State Warriors basketball team played in Philadelphia.

1964: American Bandstand Moves to Los Angeles

In 1964, American Bandstand moved to Los Angeles after being produced in Philadelphia.

1964: Specter Counsel on Warren Commission

In 1964, Arlen Specter was assistant counsel on the Warren Commission.

1966: Specter as City District Attorney

From 1966 to 1974, Arlen Specter was the city's district attorney.

1966: Geno's Steaks Founded

In 1966, Geno's Steaks was founded and became a rival to Pat's King of Steaks at the intersection of 9th Street and Passyunk Avenue.

1972: National Register Listing in 1972

In 1972, Fairmount Park and Wissahickon Valley Park were listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

1972: Trace Amounts of Snowfall in 1972

In 1972-73, trace amounts of snowfall recorded in the city.

1973: Soccer Title

In 1973, Philadelphia won a title in soccer in the now-defunct North American Soccer League.

1974: Specter as City District Attorney

From 1966 to 1974, Arlen Specter was the city's district attorney.

1975: City Tavern Rebuilt

In 1975, City Tavern was rebuilt on the same site as the original 18th-century building, which had been demolished in 1854. The rebuilt tavern is part of Independence National Historical Park.

June 1976: Sister Cities Park Dedicated

In June 1976, Sister Cities Park was dedicated at 18th and Benjamin Franklin Parkway to commemorate Philadelphia's first two sister city relationships with Tel Aviv and Florence.

1976: Rocky Film Release

In 1976, the film Rocky was released, making the long flight of steps to the Philadelphia Art Museum's main entrance famous.

1980: Zoning Code in 1980

Philadelphia's 1980 zoning code was in place.

1981: Specter Served as Republican

From 1981, Arlen Specter served as a Republican Senator.

1983: 76ers Win NBA Finals

In 1983, the 76ers defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals.

1984: Chinatown Gate Erection

In 1984, the Chinatown Gate was erected as a symbol of the sister city relationship with Tianjin.

1984: Mural Arts Program Creation

In 1984, the Department of Recreation's Mural Arts Program was created, which seeks to beautify neighborhoods and provide an outlet for graffiti artists.

July 13, 1985: Live Aid Concert

On July 13, 1985, John F. Kennedy Stadium was the American venue for the Live Aid concert.

1985: Villanova Wins NCAA Championship

In 1985, Villanova won the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament.

1985: MOVE Bombing in 1985

In 1985, the MOVE Bombing of the Cobbs Creek neighborhood by city helicopters resulted in 11 deaths and the destruction of 61 homes.

1987: One Liberty Place Completion in 1987

In 1987, One Liberty Place was completed.

1987: PGW City Ownership

In 1987, Philadelphia Gas Works (PGW) came under city ownership.

1987: One Liberty Place Surpasses City Hall Height

In 1987, a decision permitted One Liberty Place to become the first building in city history to surpass the height of William Penn statue, a statue installed in 1894 atop City Hall, contributing to the superstition known as "The Curse of Billy Penn".

1990: Increase in Foreign-Born Population

Between 1990 and 2017, Philadelphia's foreign-born population doubled.

1990: High Murder Rate

In 1990, Philadelphia had 500 (or 503 by some sources) murders, a rate of 31.5 per 100,000 people.

1991: Ronald D. Castille Leaves Office

In 1991, Ronald D. Castille, the last Republican to hold the office, left his position as District Attorney.

January 19, 1994: Last Occurrence of Temperature Below 0 °F on January 19, 1994

The most recent temperature at or below 0 °F (−18 °C) occurred on January 19, 1994.

1994: Area Code Split

In 1994, the geographic area covered by area code 215 was split nearly in half when area code 610 was created.

January 1996: Heaviest Single-Storm Snowfall in January 1996

The city's heaviest single-storm snowfall was 30.7 in (78 cm), which occurred in January 1996.

1997: Overlay Area Code 267 Added

In 1997, overlay area code 267 was added to the 215 service area.

1999: Sam Katz Mayoral Run

In 1999, Sam Katz ran competitive mayoral races as the Republican nominee, losing to Democrat John Street.

1999: Area Code 484 Added

In 1999, area code 484 was added to the 610 area.

2000: Increase in Foreign-Born Population

Between 2000 and 2016, Philadelphia's foreign-born population increased by 69%.

2000: Republican National Convention

In 2000, Philadelphia hosted the Republican National Convention.

2000: Population Decline Until 2000

Philadelphia lost about 25 percent of its residents between 1950 and 2000.

2000: Reduction in Particle Pollution

Since 2000, Philadelphia saw fewer days of high particle pollution, dropping from about 19 days per year to about 3, and an approximate 30% reduction in annual levels of particle pollution.

2001: Plan to Introduce Third Overlay Code Delayed

In 2001, a plan to introduce a third overlay code, area code 445 to 215 and area code 835 to 610, was delayed and later rescinded.

2001: Jewish Population

In 2001, the Philadelphia metropolitan area's Jewish population was estimated at 206,000, the sixth-largest in the U.S. at that time.

2001: Reduction in High Ozone Days

Since 2001, Philadelphia experienced a significant reduction in high ozone days, decreasing from nearly 50 days per year to fewer than 10.

2002: Murder Count Drop

The murder count dropped in 2002 to 288.

2003: Sam Katz Mayoral Run

In 2003, Sam Katz ran competitive mayoral races as the Republican nominee, losing to Democrat John Street.

2004: Philadelphia Ranked as Tortured Sports City

In 2004, ESPN ranked Philadelphia second on its list of "The Fifteen Most Tortured Sports Cities" due to the city's championship drought.

July 2, 2005: Live 8 Concert

On July 2, 2005, Philadelphia hosted the Live 8 concert on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, attracting approximately 700,000 people.

2005: Graduation Rate

In 2005, Philadelphia had a district graduation rate of 52%.

2005: Reintroduction of Trolley Service

In 2005, SEPTA reintroduced trolley service to the Girard Avenue Line, Route 15.

2006: Murder Count Rise

In 2006 the Murder Count Rose to 406.

2006: Highest Homicide Rate of the Country's 10 Most Populous Cities

In 2006, Philadelphia's homicide rate of 27.7 per 100,000 people was the highest of the country's 10 most populous cities.

2006: Population Low

In 2006, Philadelphia's population dropped to a low of 1,488,710 residents before beginning to rise again.

2006: Shooting Incidents Peak

In 2006, shooting incidents in the city peaked at 1,857, with major crimes reported as 85,498.

2007: Slight Drop in Murder Rate

In 2007, The murder count dropped slightly to 392.

2007: Historian Joseph Ellis's Description in 2007

In 2007, historian Joseph Ellis described the Declaration of Independence as "the most potent and consequential words in American history".

2007: Comcast Center Tallest Building in 2007

In 2007, the Comcast Center became the city's tallest building.

2007: Philadelphia Stock Exchange Acquired

In 2007, the Philadelphia Stock Exchange was acquired by Nasdaq.

2007: Population Growth in 2007

Philadelphia began experiencing population growth in 2007, which has continued with incremental annual increases.

2007: Zoning Code Overhaul Started in 2007

The zoning code overhaul started from 2007 to 2012.

2008: Phillies win the World Series

After a 25-year drought, The Phillies won the 2008 World Series.

2008: Ronald D. Castille Chief Justice

From 2008 to 2014, Ronald D. Castille served as the Chief Justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.

2008: Obama Wins Philadelphia

In 2008, Barack Obama drew 83% of the city's vote in Philadelphia.

2008: Nasdaq Ownership in 2008

In 2008, Nasdaq acquired the Philadelphia Stock Exchange.

2009: Specter Served as Democrat

From 2009, Arlen Specter served as a Democratic Senator.

2009: Daily News Becomes an Edition of the Inquirer

In 2009, the Daily News began being published as an edition of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

2009: Seasonal Snowfall in 2009

In the winter of 2009-10, 78.7 inches (200 cm) of snowfall were recorded.

July 24, 2010: Record High Minimum Temperature on July 24, 2010

The record high minimum temperature is 83 °F (28 °C) on July 24, 2010.

2010: Languages Spoken

As of 2010, 79.12% of Philadelphia residents age 5 and older spoke English at home as a primary language, while 9.72% spoke Spanish.

2010: Congressional Districts

As of 2010, Philadelphia has three congressional districts due to population changes.

2010: Specter Loses Party Primary

In 2010, Arlen Specter lost the Democratic party's primary.

2010: K-12 Enrollment

In 2010, K-12 enrollment in Philadelphia district-run schools was 156,211 students, while charter school enrollment was 33,995 students.

2010: Philadelphia Media Holdings Bankruptcy

In 2010, Philadelphia Media Holdings, then owner of The Philadelphia Inquirer and Philadelphia Daily News, declared bankruptcy.

January 2011: Specter Leaves Office

In January 2011, Arlen Specter left office.

July 23, 2011: Record High Minimum Temperature on July 23, 2011

The record high minimum temperature is 83 °F (28 °C) on July 23, 2011.

2011: Philadelphia Fans Named Meanest

In 2011, GQ magazine named Eagles and Phillies fans the nation's worst professional sports fans, describing them as the "Meanest Fans in America".

2011: Peak Test Scores

In 2011, Philadelphia's district-run schools reached their peak scores on the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) with 59.0% on math and 52.3% on reading.

2011: Highest Annual Rainfall in 2011

In 2011, the average annual rate of rainfall was 64.33 in (1,634 mm)

2012: Obama Wins Greater Share of Vote

In 2012, Barack Obama had an even greater win, capturing 85% of the vote in Philadelphia.

2012: Fourth-Highest Homicide Rate

In 2012, Philadelphia had the fourth-highest homicide rate among the country's most populous cities.

2012: Sister Cities Park Redesign and Reopening

In 2012, Sister Cities Park was redesigned and reopened with new features.

2012: Sale to Interstate General Media

In 2012, after two years of financial issues, The Philadelphia Inquirer and Philadelphia Daily News were sold to Interstate General Media.

2012: AUDL Founded

In 2012, the American Ultimate Disc League (AUDL) was founded, and the Philadelphia Spinners were one of the original eight teams.

2012: Zoning Code Overhaul Ended in 2012

The zoning code overhaul started from 2007 to 2012.

July 28, 2013: Record Rain in One Day on July 28, 2013

On July 28, 2013, 8.02 inches of rain fell at Philadelphia International Airport, the most rain recorded in one day.

2013: Data Analyzed

Data from 2013 to 2015 was analyzed in the American Lung Association's 2017 State of the Air report regarding Philadelphia County's air quality.

2013: Drop In Marijuana Arrests

From 2013 to 2018, marijuana arrests in the city dropped by more than 85%.

2013: Significant Decrease in Murders

In 2013, Philadelphia had 246 murders, a decrease of nearly 40% since 2006.

2013: Public School Closures

In 2013, the city of Philadelphia closed 24 of its public schools.

2013: Combined Circulation and Website Ranking

In 2013, the combined daily circulation of The Philadelphia Inquirer and Philadelphia Daily News was 306,831, with a Sunday circulation of 477,313, ranking 18th in the country. Their website, Philly.com, was ranked 13th in popularity among U.S. online newspapers.

2014: School Enrollment

As of 2014, The Philadelphia School District had 142,266 students in 218 traditional public schools and 86 charter schools.

2014: Park Space in 2014

As of 2014, the city's total park space amounted to 11,211 acres.

2014: Decrease in Shooting Incidents

By 2014, shooting incidents had declined nearly 44 percent to 1,047 shootings, and major crimes fell to 68,815 occurrences.

2014: Graduation Rate

By 2014, the district graduation rate in Philadelphia had increased to 65%.

2014: Per Pupil Spending

During the 2014 school year, Philadelphia spent an average of $12,570 per pupil.

2014: Violent Crimes Recorded

Each of those seven districts recorded more than a thousand violent crimes in 2014.

2014: Ronald D. Castille ends term as Chief Justice

From 2008 to 2014, Ronald D. Castille served as the Chief Justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.

2014: Marijuana Decriminalized

In 2014, Philadelphia enacted an ordinance decriminalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana, giving police officers the discretion to treat it as a civil infraction.

2014: 248 Homicides

In 2014, Philadelphia recorded 248 homicides, with a homicide rate of 16 per 100,000 residents, ranking it sixth-highest in the country.

2014: SAT Performance

In 2014, only four of Philadelphia's public high schools, including charter schools, performed above the national average on the SAT (1497 out of 2400).

2014: City Council Refuses PGW Sale Hearings

In 2014, the Philadelphia City Council refused to conduct hearings on a $1.86 billion sale of PGW, leading to the prospective buyer terminating its offer.

2014: Religious Demographics

In a 2014 study, 68% of Philadelphia's population identified as Christian, with approximately 41% of Christians professing attendance at Protestant churches and 26% professing Catholic beliefs.

2015: Center City Population in 2015

As of 2015, Center City had an estimated 183,240 residents.

2015: Data Analyzed

Data from 2013 to 2015 was analyzed in the American Lung Association's 2017 State of the Air report regarding Philadelphia County's air quality.

2015: Chinese American Population

In 2015, over 35,000 Chinese Americans lived in Philadelphia, including a Fuzhounese population.

2015: Homicide Rate Rises

In 2015, the homicide rate rose to 280.

2015: Pew Charitable Trusts Report

In a 2015 report by Pew Charitable Trusts, the police districts with the highest rates of violent crime were Frankford (15th district) and Kensington (24th district) in the Near Northeast, and districts to the North (22nd, 25th, and 35th districts), West (19th district) and Southwest (12th district) of Center City.

December 2016: MLU Suspended

In December 2016, the Major League Ultimate (MLU) was suspended indefinitely by its investors.

2016: Foreign-Born Workforce

By 2016, the city's foreign-born population constituted nearly 20% of Philadelphia's workforce.

2016: Clinton Wins Philadelphia

In 2016, Hillary Clinton won 82% of the vote in Philadelphia.

2016: Tourism in 2016

In 2016, Philadelphia attracted 42 million domestic tourists who spent $6.8 billion, which resulted in an $11 billion economic impact to the city and its surrounding Pennsylvania counties.

2016: Democratic National Convention

In 2016, Philadelphia hosted the Democratic National Convention.

2016: Villanova Wins NCAA Championship

In 2016, Villanova won the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament.

2016: Homicide Rate Falls Slightly

In 2016, the homicide rate fell slightly to 277.

2016: Jim Kenney Became Mayor

Jim Kenney served two terms as mayor from 2016 to January 2024.

December 2017: Highest-Rated Radio Stations

As of December 2017, the ten highest-rated stations in Philadelphia were adult contemporary WBEB-FM (101.1), sports talk WIP-FM (94.1), classic rock WMGK-FM (102.9), urban adult contemporary WDAS-FM (105.3), classic hits WOGL-FM (98.1), album-oriented rock WMMR-FM (93.3), country music WXTU-FM (92.5), all-news KYW-AM (1060), talk radio WHYY-FM (90.9), and urban adult contemporary WRNB-FM (100.3).

2017: Foreign-Born Population

By 2017, the city's foreign-born population constituted 13.8% of Philadelphia's total population.

2017: American Lung Association's 2017 State of the Air report

In 2017, Philadelphia County received an ozone grade of F and a 24-hour particle pollution rating of D in the American Lung Association's report.

2017: 30th Street Station Passenger Count

In 2017, Philadelphia's 30th Street Station had 4.4 million passengers, making it the third-busiest station in the country.

2017: Port Growth

In 2017, The Port of Philadelphia experienced the highest percentage growth by tonnage loaded among major U.S. seaports.

2017: Gross Metropolitan Product

In 2017, the Bureau of Economic Analysis calculated the Philadelphia metropolitan area's gross metropolitan product (GMP) to be $445 billion.

2017: Eagles Win Super Bowl

In 2017, the Eagles won their first Super Bowl, defeating the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII.

2017: Racial Composition Estimate

In 2017, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the racial composition of Philadelphia to be 41.3% Black (non-Hispanic), 34.9% White (non-Hispanic), 14.1% Hispanic or Latino, 7.1% Asian, 0.4% Native American, 0.05% Pacific Islander, and 2.8% multiracial.

2017: Homicide Rate Rises Again

In 2017, the homicide rate rose again to 317.

February 3, 2018: Area Code 445 Implemented

Area code 445 was implemented as an overlay for area codes 215 and 267 starting on February 3, 2018.

2018: Larry Krasner is District Attorney

As of 2018, Larry Krasner, a Democrat, is the city's District Attorney.

2018: Amtrak's Third-Busiest Station

As of 2018, Philadelphia's 30th Street Station is Amtrak's third-busiest station in the country.

2018: FCC Radio Stations

As of 2018, the FCC lists 28 FM and 11 AM stations for Philadelphia.

2018: Philadelphia Phoenix in AUDL

As of 2018, the Philadelphia Phoenix continue to play in the AUDL.

2018: Drop In Marijuana Arrests

From 2013 to 2018, marijuana arrests in the city dropped by more than 85%.

2018: Villanova Wins NCAA Championship

In 2018, Villanova won the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament.

2018: Comcast Technology Center Completion in 2018

In 2018, the Comcast Technology Center was completed.

2018: Shipping Capacity Doubled

Since 2018, the Port of Philadelphia has doubled its shipping capacity to accommodate super-sized post-Panamax shipping vessels.

May 2019: Biden's Campaign Headquarters

In May 2019, former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden chose Philadelphia to be his 2020 U.S. presidential campaign headquarters.

May 2019: Walnut Street Theatre Expansion

In May 2019, the Walnut Street Theatre announced a major expansion to begin in 2020.

July 21, 2019: Last Occurrence of Temperature Above 100 °F on July 21, 2019

The most recent temperature at or above 100 °F (38 °C) occurred on July 21, 2019.

2019: Census Estimate

As of 2019, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated that the population of Philadelphia was 1.2% less than the population recorded in the 2020 U.S. Census.

2020: U.S. Census Data

As of the 2020 U.S. Census, Philadelphia had 1,603,797 residents. The city's racial composition was 39.3% Black alone, 36.3% White alone, 8.7% Asian alone, 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native alone, 8.7% some other race, and 6.9% multiracial, and 14.9% of residents were Hispanic or Latino.

2020: Homicides Increased Dramatically

Homicides increased dramatically in the late 2010s/early 2020s, reaching 499 homicides in 2020.

2020: Biden's Campaign Headquarters

In May 2019, former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden chose Philadelphia to be his 2020 U.S. presidential campaign headquarters.

2020: Walnut Street Theatre Expansion

In May 2019, the Walnut Street Theatre announced a major expansion to begin in 2020.

2020: Population in 2020

In the 2020 census, the population of Philadelphia was 1,603,797.

2021: Gross Metropolitan Product Estimate

As of 2021, the Philadelphia metropolitan area's gross metropolitan product (GMP) was estimated at US$479 billion.

2021: Surpassing 1990 Record

Homicides increased dramatically in the late 2010s/early 2020s, surpassing the 1990 "record" in 2021, with 501st murder on November 27 and 510 by the end of the month. Phillie ended the year with 562 murders, an all-time record.

2022: Slight Drop in Homicide Count

In 2022 the homicides dropped to 514.

2022: South American Migrants Bused to Philadelphia

In 2022, South American migrants were being transported by bus from Texas to Philadelphia.

November 2023: Cherelle Parker Wins Election

In November 2023, Cherelle Parker won the election to become the mayor of Philadelphia.

2023: Philadelphia International Airport Ranking

As of 2023, Philadelphia International Airport is the 21st-busiest airport in the nation with over 13.6 million passengers.

2023: Fifth-Largest Media Market

As of 2023, the Philadelphia media market is the fifth-largest in North America with over 7.8 million viewers.

2023: Gross Metropolitan Product in 2023

As of 2023, the Philadelphia metropolitan area had a gross metropolitan product of US$557.6 billion.

2023: Decrease in Homicide Rate

In 2023, the homicide rate decreased to 410.

January 2024: Jim Kenney's Term Ends

In January 2024, Jim Kenney's two terms as mayor of Philadelphia came to an end.

April 2, 2024: Open Wards Philadelphia Archived

Open Wards Philadelphia Archived April 2, 2024, at the Wayback Machine.

September 2024: Largest TV Market Without Network-Owned Station

Since September 2024, Philadelphia is the nation's largest television market where at least one of the six English networks are shown at a station not owned by a particular network's associated parent company.