PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — This is a city of firsts.

First public school. First library. First fire department. First American university. First American flag. First public bank.

First American daily newspaper. First cheesesteak and, thanks to Ben Franklin, the first lightning rod used to protect a building.

Philadelphia, site of the 2000 Republican National Convention, also was the city to hold the first GOP national convention in 1856, when the nominee was John C. Fremont.

Philadelphia, likewise, hosted Republican conventions in 1872, 1900, 1940 and 1948.

The Republican nominee from those Philly conventions has a record of 2-3 in the general election: Ulysses S. Grant and William McKinley won in 1872 and 1900, respectively.

But Fremont, Wendell Wilkie in 1940 and Thomas Dewey in 1948 came up short.

Philadelphia is known, of course, for a lot more than conventions, Ben Franklin and cheese steaks.

The movie boxer “Rocky” called this city home. People here like to eat their Tastykakes with a tall glass of milk, and tourists flock to see the Liberty Bell.

Working hard to improve its image, Philadelphia raised $40 million toward attracting, winning and, now, impressing the people coming to this year’s Republican Convention. (It also tried to lure the Democratic National Convention.)

Now the whole city is dressed in red, white and blue and trying to be on its best behavior.

So put on your tri-cornered hat and read some of the numbers behind this year’s Republican National Convention in Philadelphia, the (disputed) first capital of the United States:

• There are 2,066 delegates, 2,066 alternates and 10,000 volunteers.
• California has the most GOP delegates with 162, followed by Texas with 124 and New York, 101. America Samoa, Guam and the Virgin Islands have the least number of delegates, with four each. (North Carolina has 62.)
• 15,000 media members have received credentials, representing 1,500 news organizations.
• 500,000 square feet has been set aside for media workspaces, equal to 145 single-family homes.
• 95 hotels are being used, and 20,000 hotel rooms are being taken up by convention-goers.
• 8,000 telephone lines have been installed at the convention center, and 950 miles of telephone cable are in place.
• The transportation shuttle system going from hotels, to the convention center and to the downtown includes 350 vehicles.
• Philadelphia is the nation’s fifth largest city.