Your Bi-Weekly Blog of Fascinating Facts & Interesting Oddities

Cutting-Edge Ideas
A surprising number of Philadelphia’s historic tourist sites involved important medical breakthroughs. We’ll start with the better-known ones, and work down the list.

Why You Should Visit Old Pine’s Churchyard
There’s much more to view here than most people realize.

My Most Unusual Philadelphia Tour Group Ever
It included relatives of both Commodore John Barry and General William Howe

A Triple Philly Treat
Philadelphia is home to three neighboring architectural masterpieces as eclectic and extraordinary as you’ll find anywhere in the world.

The Penns’ Pal
Elaine Peden has made William Penn and his wife Hannah her passion. Knowing Elaine and her can-do mentality, I’d never bet against her.

I should have changed my name to Jim Noce
For years, my wife has been telling me I should change my name from Jim Murphy to Jim Noce – her family name. I’m starting to think she’s right.
Why the Mason Dixon Survey Started on Philly’s South Street
Today, most people know the Mason Dixon Line as the boundary between the country’s North and South. But that was never the intention of the Mason-Dixon survey.

Want To Learn History Easily?
I woke up in the middle of the night with three words in my mind: "The Last Farewell." The next morning, I realized why I had written these words.