Getting into Programming: Where do I start?

Hi everyone,

I'm looking into learning how to program. I've been using HTML and CSS for over a decade now but I've never moved past that. My question is where should I begin? I'm currently reading up on PHP and MySQL but I'd like to do this right. Here's what I would like to accomplish.

• As a seasoned web designer I'd like to be able to design more than just the front-end of a website with HTML and CSS. In this case I assume that I should look into PHP, MySQL, Javascript, ASP and more.
• Additionally I'd like to move beyond just websites and learn how to create applications and games. Whether they be for the web, or mobile devices like Android and iOS.

Where should I start? Is there a programming language I should learn first that will assist me in learning others? Any help would be greatly appreciated.