1743 - First professional sports organization in the United States - Maryland Jockey Club
1773 - First US stage coach route - Baltimore to Philadelphia
1774 - First Post Office System in the United States
1778 - First independent corps in the Revolutionary War Army- organized by Count Casimir Pulaski
1783 - First dredger in the world - the Baltimore Mud Machine, was invented by Andrew and John Ellicot.
1784 - First balloon ascension in the US with a person on board - Edward Warren
1784 - First Methodist church in America- Lovely Lane Meeting House
1785 - First general meeting of the Quakers
1785 - First church of the United Brethren
1789 - First Catholic diocese in the U.S.
1791 - First Roman Catholic seminary in the U.S. St. Mary's Seminary
1792 - The first monument to Columbus in the United States
1792 - First water company chartered in the United States - Baltimore Water Company.
1796 - First Sunday newspaper in America- Monitor
1796 - First sugar refinery in the U.S. - founded by Garts and Leypoldt
1797 - First US war ship to capture an enemy vessel - Constellation
1798 - First fort built by U.S. Government – Fort McHenry national Monument and Historic Shrine
1799 - First Swedenborgain church-erected at Exeter and Baltimore Street
1800 - Fist investment banking house in America- founded by Alexander Brown
1803 - First electric refrigerator- invented by Thomas Moore
1804 - First stationary store- Lucas Brothers
1811 - First U.S. company to import and consumer package teas – Martin Gillet and Company
1814 - Birthplace of the Star-Spangled Banner - written by Francis Scott Key at Fort McHenry
1815 - First manufacturers of silverware in the United States - Samuel Kirk Company
1815 - The first permanent monument to George Washington was built.
1816 - First city to illuminate streets with hydrogen gas
1817 - First independent Unitarian church- formed at 21 Hanover Street, home of Henry Payson
1817 - First annual conference of the African Methodist Episcopal church
1819 - First Odd Fellows lodge in the U.S.- organized by Thomas Wildey and others
1819 - First gaslight company in the country- Gas Light Company of Baltimore
1820 - First canning of oysters- by Thomas Kennett
1828 - First American umbrella factory - William Beehler
1828 - First railroad for commercial transportation of passengers and freight B & O railroad
1829 - First black Catholic religious order of nuns- Oblate Sisters of Providence
1830 - First coal burning steam locomotive built - Tom Thumb
1830 - First operating railroad depot in the US - Mt. Clare Station
1831 - First national nominating convention for President of the United States
1836 - First regular steam vessel to cross the Atlantic from the U.S - "City of Kingston"
1836 - First car ferry used in the U.S. was built in Baltimore for the Susquehanna River
1839 - First commercial canning of corn
1840 - First dental college in the world- Baltimore College of Dental Surgery
1840 - First steam boating company in the U.S. - Baltimore steam packet Co.
1844 - First public supported high schools for girls - Eastern High School and Western High School
1844 - World's first telegraph line established between Baltimore and Washington - Samuel Morse
1848 - First ice cream freezer - patented by W. G. Young
1849 - First teachers college for women - Baltimore Female College (Goucher College)
1853 - First Radial heater for the home - at Mansion Alexandrffsky
1854 - First Jewish Community Center I the U.S. - (YMHA) Young Men's Hebrew Association
1856 - First Elevator to be operated by electrical power - invented by James Bates
1859 - First YMCA - Pratt and Schroeder Streets
1859 - First American horse drawn street car line was done so in Fell's Point
1869 - First black labor union - Colored Businessmen's Association, organized by Isacc Meyers
1869 - First candy factory to produce licorice - J.S. Young Company
1875 - The first monument to Edgar Allan Poe
1878 - First animal welfare association - American Humane Society
1879 - First synthetic sweetening agent - Saccharine, developed at Johns Hopkins University
1883 - First public financed vocational school in the U.S. - Baltimore Polytechnic Institute
1884 - First typesetting machine in the world - invented by Ottmar Mergenthaler
1885 - First commercial electric street car line - Baltimore to Hampden
1886 - First public Library System with branches - Enoch Pratt Free Library
1890 - First steam tanker built in America The Maverick by W.T.Malster
1891 - First commercial stomach antacid seltzer - Bromo-Seltzer, made by Captain Isaac E. Emerson
1892 - First bottle caps with crown cork in the U.S.- Crown Cork and Seal
1892 - First Ouija board - invented and patented by Isaac and William Fuld
1895 - First Catholic college for women - Notre Dame College
1895 - First electronic railway locomotive in the world - put in service by the B&O
1896 - First Multi-store shopping center building in the country - Roland Park Marketplace
1897 - First country day school in the U.S. - Gilman School
1897 - First practical submarine in the US - "Argonaut," invented by Simon Lake
1900 - First time duck bowling introduced - at Diamond Bowling Alleys
1901 - First woman professor at a U.S. medical School - Dr. Florence Rena Sabin
1906 - First city magazine- Baltimore Magazine
1911 - First international women's volunteer organization - Hadassah, founded by Henrietta Szold
1916 - First portable electric drill with pistol grip - Black & Decker
1916 - First municipal orchestra supported by public funds - Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
1917 - First gas station with pumps enabling a driver to see the amount of gasoline being pumped
1920 - First factory to manufacture stainless steel - Rustless Iron & Steel Company
1921 - First National Guard Air Squadron started - Logan Field
1921 - First black musical on Broadway - written by Baltimorean Eubie Blake, Shuffle Along
1922 - First nationwide presidential radio broadcast - by President Warren G. Harding
1925 - First triple combination fireboat in service - operated by Baltimore City Fire Dept
1932 - First producer of venetian blinds in the United States - Eastern Venetian Blind Company
1936 - First black newspaper chain- Afro-American Newspaper
1946 - First photograph of earth from space - produced at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory
1948 - First Stratovision television telecast
1959 - First Mobile microwave television tower
1964 - First Permanent Building in the U.S to have a revolving restaurant - Holiday Inn, Downtown
1966 - First baseball player to be named MVP in both leagues - Frank Robinson
1967 - First African-American to serve on the US supreme Court - Baltimorean Thurgood Marshall
1975 - First native born U.S. Citizen to be canonized as a saint - Elizabeth Seton (born 1809)
1983 - First African American wax museum - The National Great Blacks in Wax Museum
1995 - First American city to win championship in the Canadian Football League - Baltimore Stallions
