HistoryTalks event brings former presidents, athletes, and entertainers to Philly

Source: Philadelphia Inquirer

Updated April 18, 2026, 5:26 p.m. ET | Published April 18, 2026, 1:56 p.m. ET


A History Channel event at the Kimmel Center in Center City on Saturday drew former Presidents Joe Biden, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama for conversations about their careers and their hopes that the country they led will survive this era of political divisiveness.

Along with the former presidents, HistoryTalks featured conversations with former first lady Michelle Obama, former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, athletes like Tom Brady, and entertainers like Nicole Kidman and Delaware County native Tina Fey on the stage of a packed Marian Anderson Hall. The invitation-only crowd cheered remarks that highlighted behaviors that can help overcome political polarization and move the nation toward the U.S. Constitution’s promise of a “more perfect union.”

“At the heart of our democratic project is not just policy, but it’s a set of moral commitments. It’s a set of values and ethical norms,” Obama said during his interview with historian Jon Meacham. “We are going to get through these challenging times,” but not because there is a better 10-point policy, he said. “It’s because we find a way to reset ourselves around these moral commitments to freedom and treating people as we would like to be treated.”

The Philadelphia version of HistoryTalks — which took place just blocks from Independence Hall — was planned to coincide with the nation’s 250th anniversary celebrations, but also at a critical juncture in history, said Paul Buccieri, president of the History Channel’s owner, A+E Global Media.

Read more: https://www.inquirer.com/news/philadelphia/history-talks-tina-fey-joe-biden-george-bush-20260418.html

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I just heard about this early this morning and ZERO about it yesterday when it was going on. The only other media that I could find mentioning this (other than the local news like KYW) was the "entertainment" outlets like "Deadline" and "Hollywood Reporter".

Four former Presidents in one place and it is ignored in favor of the whiner-in-chief who, after "staging" a "Situation Room" meeting, promptly left that to go play golf.

And as a note about this -



The Kimmel Center is not "just blocks from". It's almost a mile from (Kimmel is on Broad St. = "14th St." and Independence Hall is between 5th & 6th Sts.).