Capital of the World: Philadelphia’s Race to Host the United Nations

Co-Sponsored Event: How close did Philadelphia come to becoming the Capital of the World?

Join the Philadelphia History Museum for the next event in its popular Conversations series. This program, presented in conjunction with the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, will explore Capital of the World: The Race to the Host the United Nations, the newly published book by Charlene Mires, Associate Professor of History at Rutgers-Camden, and a co-recipient of the Pulitzer Prize in Journalism. With a sweeping view of the United States’ place in the world at the end of World War II, the book tells the dramatic, surprising, and at times comic story of hometown promoters in pursuit of an extraordinary prize and the diplomats who struggled with the balance of power at a pivotal moment in history. Mires will delve into the fascinating account of Philadelphia’s involvement in the national competition to house the UN headquarters.

This event will be recorded for C-Span’s Book TV. Visitors are invited to view the Museum’s exhibitions from 5:00-6:00 p.m. The program begins promptly at 6:00 p.m., with a reception, including music from the 1940’s and book signing.  Books will be available for purchase. Reception made possible by the NYU Press.

Free and open to the public.  Please register in advance.

Click here for more information or to register.

Teachers attending this event may register for Act 48 credits through the Historical Society of Pennsylvania.

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