Pittsburgh is the second largest city in the state of Pennsylvania, named by General John Forbes in 1758. The French Empire was in control of the Pittsburgh region from 1669 to 1758 when the British Empire took control. It was not until 1783 that the United States gained independence from Great Britain. and the border with Pittsburgh began to solidify. The city began to grow, and shipbuilding and the iron, brass, glass, and tin industries provided revenue to expand and continue to grow. , Food, gas and automotive industries. Pittsburgh is 58.3 square miles and has more than 305,000 residents.
There are more than 700 sets of public stairs within the city limits of Pittsburgh. They are maintained by an Inspector of Steps.
Pittsburgh has been home to many firsts in the United States. The first commercial radio station (1920), first Ferris wheel (1893), first Ice Capades (1940), first public TV station in the U.S. (1954), first retractable dome (1961), first aluminum building (1953), and first World Series Game to be held at night (1971).
The world’s first T-rex skeleton is on display at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History.
The first polio vaccine was developed by Dr. Jonas Salk in Pittsburgh in 1954.
Pittsburgh has more days of rain and snow than Seattle, Washington.
The smiley face emoticon was invented in Pittsburgh by a computer scientist at Carnegie Mellon University, named Scott Fahlman (1980s).
In 1905, Pittsburgh became home to the first Nickelodeon, or modern movie theater.
There are more certified ‘green’ buildings in Pittsburgh then in any other U.S. city.
Pittsburgh’s St. Anthony’s Chapel is home to more Catholic relics than anywhere else in the world except for the Vatican.
There is a running and bike trail that spans 245 miles from Pittsburgh to Washington, D.C. It is called the Great Allegheny Passage.
The stars in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ logo aren’t stars. They are hypocycloids. The logo was “borrowed” from U.S. Steel, which was based in the city.
Pittsburgh has more bridges (446 in total) than any other city on earth, including Venice, Italy.
Pittsburgh’s Beechview neighborhood is home to the steepest street in the United States (and possibly the world): Canton Avenue. It is as steep as 37 degrees.
The Carnegie Museum of Art opened in 1895 in Pittsburgh, making it the first modern art museum in the world.
The Big Mac was invented in the Pittsburgh suburbs by Jim Delligatti, a local McDonald’s franchisee. It was first sold in 1967, and there is even a Big Mac Museum that you can visit.
Many celebrities have been born and raised in Pittsburgh including Andy Warhol, Michael Keaton, Jeff Goldblum, Demi Moore, and Christina Aguilera.
The oldest-known site of human habitation in North America is located just south of Pittsburgh at Meadowcroft Rockshelter.
Pittsburgh has been known as the Steel City because it played a large part in producing steel early in America’s history.
Pittsburgh is home to the first commercial radio station in the world, KDKA. The station began by broadcasting presidential election results on November 2, 1920.
Steel made in Pittsburgh was used to construct the Golden Gate Bridge in California and the Empire State Building in New York.
In 1903, the first World Series was held between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Boston Americans. Boston won the series five games to three.
The first Jeep was made in Pittsburgh.
In 1920, 80% of the glass made in the United States came from Pittsburgh.
The Pittsburgh Steelers football team won six Super Bowls in their years in the league so far.
The Fort Pitt Blockhouse in Point State Park is the oldest structure in western Pennsylvania and dates back to 1764.
Many tech firms are located in Pittsburgh including Apple, Intel, and Google.
When the Civic Arena opened in 1961, it was the world’s first retractable dome stadium for a major sports team.
Pittsburgh is a popular tourist destination with many sports, entertainment, museums, theatre, and concert opportunities.
Another fact about Pittsburgh that few know is that from 1891 to 1911, Pittsburgh was officially spelled without its “h”.
Pittsburgh is home to many universities, colleges, and research institutions, including Penn State, Carnegie Mellon, and Slippery Rock University, among many others.
The University of Pittsburgh’s Cathedral of Learning is the second tallest university building in the world.
Pittsburgh has been home to several important health discoveries and advancements, including the first polio vaccine, perfecting organ transplantation, discovery of vitamin C, liver resection, youngest heart-lung transplant, first liver-kidney-heart transplant, and many more.
In 1808, Allegheny County produced enough whiskey each year to give every American man, woman, and child half a barrel of whiskey.
Many films have been shot in whole or in part in Pittsburgh, including The Dark Knight Rises, Jack Reacher, The Fault in Our Stars, Kingpin, The Mothman Prophecies, and Inspector Gadget.
Baseball Hall of Famers Stan Musial and Ken Griffey, Jr. were both born on November 21 in the small town of Donora, PA (though 49 years apart).
Many popular food inventions were created in Pittsburgh including the Big Mac, Heinz Ketchup, the Klondike Bar, chipped ham, and fried zucchini strips.
George Washington made at least seven trips to western Pennsylvania and entered Pittsburgh’s modern city limits at least twice.
In 1891 the city name Pittsburgh lost the ‘h’ at the end. After 20 years of protest it was restored by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names.
Roslyn Place in Pittsburgh’s Shadyside neighborhood is the last wooden street remaining in Pennsylvania. The road was constructed in 1914 of 26,000 wooden blocks.
