Comments (45)

1. Pittsburgh has been called America’s Best City for Relocating Families.

   posted by Carrie on 6-19-2008 at 3:01 pm

2. If I’m not mistaken (and I’m not from PIT), each of the major bridge construction types are represented by the city’s river bridges. Also, it’s a disputed claim that Pittsburgh has more bridges than any city in the U.S.

   posted by RSN on 6-19-2008 at 3:04 pm

3. During WW II, the Philadelphia Eagles and the Pittsburgh Steelers temporarily merged to form the Philadelphia-Pittsburgh Steagles.

   posted by kyle on 6-19-2008 at 3:34 pm

4. I am a Pittsburgher, and I will say that we believe very firmly that we have more bridges than any city (there are over 400 of them).

   Lesser known to the outside world is that we have over 700 sets of steps, which make up an integral part of our transportation throughout the city. That’s more than double 2nd place San Francisco!

   Locals love the steps, but they can infuriate visitors, as the steps often appear on maps. These “paper streets” are named and marked with street signs, but aren’t automobile-friendly whatsoever. They are one of many reasons that a favorite and often-heard sentiment here in Pittsburgh is “You can’t get there from here.”

   posted by Amber on 6-19-2008 at 3:39 pm

5. Pittsburgh’s airport is in the shape of an “X.” And while this may not seem like mind-blowing trivia, let me tell you something: It is, hands down, the best airport to have a lay-over. (And if you are flying these days, you’ll probably have a lay-over)
   Given the shape of the airport, not matter what gate your plane arrives at, you will have access to all the wonderful shops and eateries that the Pittsburgh airport has to offer.
   Best Airport ever!
   And that’s a fact.

   posted by Justin on 6-19-2008 at 4:35 pm

6. the first internet emoticon was created by carnegie mellon university computer scientist scott fahlman in 1980. it was the ubiquitous :-)

   if awarded the tickets, i think its only fair that i try to track down mr. fahlman and take him to the show as well.

   posted by ethan on 6-19-2008 at 5:01 pm

7. During the Pittsburgh Pirate drug trials of 1985 the team mascot Kevin Koch AKA The Pirate Parrot was accused of introducting the players to drug dealers and making deals on their behalf.

   posted by Dan on 6-19-2008 at 5:10 pm

8. During the Pittsburgh Pirate drug trials of 1985 team mascot Kevin Koch, a.k.a. The Pirate Parrot was accused of introducing the players to drug dealers and making deals on their behalf.

   posted by Dan on 6-19-2008 at 5:13 pm

9. Former Pittsburgh Pirates’ pitcher Dock Ellis says he was under the influence of LSD when he pitched a 1970 no-hitter against the San Diego Padres.

   Only 256 no-hitters have been thrown in Major League history

   posted by Rob Schell on 6-19-2008 at 6:20 pm

10. Former Pittsburgh Pirates’ pitcher Dock Ellis says he was under the influence of LSD when he pitched a 1970 no-hitter against the San Diego Padres.

    256 no-hitters have been thrown in Major League history

    posted by Rob Schell on 6-19-2008 at 6:23 pm

11. The cathedral of learning is the world’s 2nd largest educational building.

    Pittsburgh is the only American city that has the same team colors for multiple sports teams(black and gold).

    The Civic/Mellon Arena was the first building with a retractable roof. It was made so that people could look at the stars while the symphony performed but the roof was never retracted because of the wind tunnel that it created.

    posted by Anna on 6-19-2008 at 6:28 pm

12. Many people know that the Mesoamerican Long Count Calendar ends on or around 21 December, 2012–a date, therefore, that some consider will bring a doomsday or an enlightenment or some fascinating mixture of both.

    But, did you know that, according to the folks over at Point of Light (search “pittsburgh mayan calendar” on Google), Pittsburgh will be the most key geographical player in this event?

    Maybe it’s hocus-pocus or so true it should be on the cover of National Geo, but the article above explains Pittsburgh’s “connection” via its mysterious fourth river and the rivers’ resemblance of a stellar constellation, the testimony’s of believers, and even how Point State Park will serve as THE spot for spiritual enlightenment (it’s a good thing we just got the fountain up and running again…).

    I did a project on this last year because it baffled me so; my professor and class thought I was making it all up. I, however, think few are creative enough to cook up a story this wild.

    posted by Marc on 6-19-2008 at 6:43 pm

13. Pittsburgh is the birthplace of Czechoslovakia.

    On May 31, 1918 representatives of expatriate organizations met in Pittsburgh and signed the “Pittsburgh Agreement” - essentially a “declaration of independence” calling for the formation of a democratic republic comprising the Czech Lands and Slovakia.

    The agreement was signed in Pittsburgh because at home, in the then existing Austro-Hungary, the 29 Czech and Slovak signatories, including future Czechoslovakia’s first president Tomas Garrigue Masaryk, would most probably face death penalty as traitors. The signing attracted some 20,000 people.

    The original document was recently presented to the Heinz Regional History Center in Pittsburgh where it will be professionally preserved.

    posted by Anthony Cerminaro on 6-19-2008 at 9:40 pm

14. My grandfather, Elmer Overly, was the founder and owner of the Pittsburgh Envelope Company. That’s all I have

    posted by JaneM on 6-19-2008 at 10:02 pm

15. in the absolute thriller “Sudden Death”, the only Pittsburgh Penguins player to refuse to have his likeness used in the movie was goaltender Tom Barrasso, instead being replaced by a goaltender named “Toliver”. Also, Pens defenseman, Ian Moran portrayed Blackhawks defenseman, Chris Chelios, who now plays for the Red Wings who defeated the Pens this season to win the Stanley Cup.

    posted by jim on 6-19-2008 at 10:48 pm

16. Pittsburgh has been spelled with an “h” officially and historically since its founding in 1758, except for the period between 1890 and 1911.

    In 1890, the United States Board on Geographic Names decided that the final h was to be dropped in the names of all cities and towns ending in burgh. The citizens of Pittsburgh refused to give in to the Board’s ruling and mounted a campaign to keep the traditional spelling. In 1911, the United States Board on Geographic Names reversed its decision and restored the “h” to Pittsburgh.

    posted by Kim on 6-20-2008 at 12:30 am

17. Most of the movies filmed in Pittsburgh get the geography all wrong.

    That’s all I’ve got. But my brother is going to the festival, so I know you want me to have the tickets. Thanks.

    posted by Alison on 6-20-2008 at 12:55 am

18. Oh, and I can give examples.

    My reCAPTCHA (the CAPTCHA having been invented at Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh, bien sûr) is “spirits Brooklyn.” I think it ought to read “Pittsburgh rocks.”

    posted by Alison on 6-20-2008 at 1:00 am

19. Pittsburgh has the most bridges in the United States, and it has the second most bridges in the world, only Venice beats it.

    Pittsburgh is the birth place of the polio vaccine, it was invented by Jonas Salk at the University of Pittsburgh.

    Pittsburgh was once home to the most haunted house in America, located on Ridge Ave. It has since blown up.

    PNC Park and Heinz Field are built on land which used to be an island. The island was used as Native American burial grounds.

    The top floors of the Cathedral of Learning were completed before the bottom floors.

    The Carnegie Museum of Natural History is the home of one of the most complete set of castes of famous structures in the world, all the castes were made in the 19th century. It is also home to a crystal skull.

    The :-) was “invented” by a Carnegie Mellon University Professor in the 1980s.

    Michael Musmanno, was a judge from Pittsburgh. In the 1920s he worked on the Sacco and Vanzetti defense team, in the 1930s he fought against the Coal and Iron police. A movie with Paul Muni was made based on his book Black Fury. In the 1940s he was a part of the Allied commission to determine whether Hitler was dead or not, that included visiting the bunker and interviewing tons of people including Nazis in custody and Eva Braun’s parents. The interviews are housed at Duquesne University. He also presided over trials at Nuremberg. In the 1950s he was one of the area’s leading anti-communists.

    In 1811 the first steamboat was invented in Pittsburgh

    posted by Elizabeth on 6-20-2008 at 1:15 am

20. Pittsburgh sucks and the people that come from there smell bad.

    posted by JC on 6-20-2008 at 7:38 am

21. Thanks for mentioning the Honorable Michael Musmanno. He was a colorful and controversial judge who was a zealous defender of the idea of Columbus having discovered America. Musmanno supported his claims in the book “Columbus Was First.”

    Musmanno wrote a number of other books including, “Ten Days to Die”, which recounted Hitler’s last days and was later made into a motion picture, and Black Fury a novel about a coal miner struggling with the hardships of the mines and the brutality of the Coal and Iron Police.

    Musmanno penned blistering and sometimes hysterical dissenting opinions as a judge. His dissent in the PA Supreme Court obscenity case regarding the book, The Tropic of Cancer, is a classic. The majority opinion failed to find the book obscene within the meaning of the First Amendment. Justice Musmanno disagreed:

    “[Henry Miller’s Tropic of Cancer] is not a book. It is a cesspool, an open sewer, a pit of putrefaction, a slimy gathering of all that is rotten in the debris of human depravity. And in the center of all this waste and stench, besmearing himself with its foulest defilement, splashes, leaps, cavorts and wallows a bifurcated specimen that responds to the name of Henry Miller. One wonders how the human species could have produced so lecherous, blasphemous, disgusting and amoral a human being as Henry Miller. One wonders why he is received in polite society. … From Pittsburgh to Philadelphia, from Dan to Beersheba, and from the ramparts of the Bible to Samuel Eliot Morison’s Oxford History of the American People, I dissent.”

    Musmanno loved Columbus, but he didn’t care for jazz music, as noted in a Volokh Conspiracy post, quoting another of his dissenting opinions:

    “In the eyes and ears of many people, including the writer of this opinion, a juke box confined to ‘jazz’ records may be a nuisance. It robs the air of sweet silence, it substitutes for the gentle concord of stillness the wailings of the so-called ‘blues singer,’ the whinings of foggy saxophones, the screeching of untuned fiddles, the blasts of head-splitting horns, and the battering of earshattering drums. It makes a mockery of music, it replaces harmony with cacophony, tonality with discord, and peace with annoyance.”

    Musmanno died, fittingly, on Columbus Day in 1968 and is buried in Arlington Cemetery almost directly across the road from the eternal flame of the grave of John F. Kennedy.

    He was quite a character.

    posted by Anthony Cerminaro on 6-20-2008 at 8:02 am

22. One of the segments from Nickelodeon’s show KaBlam!, Action Hero Now!, had several characters voiced by DJs from 102.5 WDVE (Pittsburgh’s classic rock station). Meltman, Stinky Driver, Thundergirl, the Mayor, and The Flesh were just some of the characters voiced by Scott Paulsen, Jim Krenn, and Cris Winter - all from the DVE Morning Show.

    The lineup is different, but if you liked the post a while back about Pittsburghese, this is a great way to get your fix. No one makes fun of the ‘language’ better than them.

    posted by Sarah T on 6-20-2008 at 8:18 am

23. Pittsburgh fielded a team in the national league from 1887 to 1890 called the Pittsburgh Alleghenies, and due to the inexperience of its young players, the team was also known as the Innocents in 1890. In 1891, the team signed Lou Bierbauer, a second baseman under contract to the Philadelphia Athletics of the American Association. The Athletics complained that the Pittsburgh team had “pirated” its star player, and the Pittsburghers embraced this insult, renaming the franchise the Pirates.
    Another baseball fact—while Pittsburgh is not the most racially tolerant town (the home fans famously threw a whiskey bottle and batteries at African-American outfielders Al Oliver and Dave Parker), the Pirates were the first major league team to field 9 African-American players to start a game.

    posted by Patrick O'Rourke on 6-20-2008 at 8:41 am

24. JC must be from Cleveland.

    posted by smc on 6-20-2008 at 8:54 am

25. I don’t live in Cleveland, I live in Cincinnati.

    posted by JC on 6-20-2008 at 10:16 am

26. We (Pittsburgh) are the home of where the polio vaccine was created (Pitt even has a building named after Jonas Salk), the most bridges, the most steps of any city in the US, and the largest educational building in the Western hemisphere (MGY in Moscow beat our world record by sticking a large spire on top of the university). We are a city of firsts: first pop-tab, first baseball stadium, first commercial radio station, first public tv station, and first green convention center in the US.

    posted by cz on 6-20-2008 at 10:37 am

27. The blinking red light on top of the Grant Building spells out “Pittsburgh” in Morse Code.

    posted by Kevin on 6-20-2008 at 10:48 am

28. The blinking light on top of the Grant Building blinks out “Pittsburgh” in Morse Code

    posted by Kevin on 6-20-2008 at 10:50 am

29. The blinking red light on top of the Grant Building blinks out “Pittsburgh” in Morse code.

    posted by Kevin on 6-20-2008 at 10:53 am

30. Pittsburgh lives in the shadows of the modern day Mecca of America, the beacon of light for every other east and midwest town. Of course I speak of Cleveland.

    PS Pittsburgh sucks and the people that come from there smell bad.

    Couldn’t agree more (my wife’s from Pittsburgh lol)

    posted by Dan on 6-20-2008 at 11:09 am

31. David Nwell, aka Mr. McFeely, aka Speedy McFeely, was born in Pittsburgh. He was the mailman on Mr. Rogers Neighborhood. Interesting fact; Fred Rogers is from Latrobe, PA and his middle name is McFeely, hence the orgin of the name Mr. McFeely. Incidentally, the whole neighboorhood started in Pittsburgh. Won’t you be my neighboor, Mr. Dylan?

    posted by Brian K on 6-20-2008 at 1:40 pm

32. Most people know that Mr. Rogers starte din Pittsburgh, but did you know Fred roger’s middle name was McFeely? Hence, the mailman, played by Pittsburgh native David Newell, was named Mr. McFeely, a.ka. Speedy McFeely. Won’t you be my neighboor, Bob Dylan?

    posted by Brian on 6-20-2008 at 1:44 pm

33. They have BOTH kinds of beer there- iron and iron light. but you have to go to a distributor or a shady chinese resturant to get it.

    it is full of art students that may or may not look like homeless people because they’re in art school. lol

    posted by Sue on 6-20-2008 at 3:07 pm

34. A scientist from Carnegie Mellon was a member of the team who named the Suzhousauraus Megatherioides last year.

    posted by Rebecca on 6-20-2008 at 4:57 pm

35. From 1890-1911 Pittsburgh was spelled Pittsburg, because under President Benjamin Harrison many US cities, towns, rivers, etc. were renamed. One of the codes established under this was that all places with ‘burgh’ at the end would loose the ‘h’. The people of Pittsburgh refused to accept this new rule and therefore protested the new spelling. And after 20 years they won. Pittsburg became Pittsburgh once again.

    posted by rachael on 6-20-2008 at 10:45 pm

36. During WWII, Pittsburgh produced 31% of America’s steel for its war efforts.

    Here we go Steelers, here we go!

    posted by Jeff on 6-22-2008 at 9:43 am

37. A quick web search produces a few lists of movies that claim to have been filmed in Pittsburgh:

    Pittsburgh (2006)
    The Mothman Prophecies (2002)
    Wonder Boys (2000)
    Dogma (1999)
    Inspector Gadget (1999)
    Desperate Measures (1998)
    Diabolique (1996)
    Kingpin (1996)
    Boys on the Side (1995)
    Houseguest (1995)
    Sudden Death (1995)
    Milk Money (1994)
    Only You (1994)
    Groundhog Day (1993)
    Money for Nothing (1993)
    Striking Distance (1993)
    Hoffa (1992)
    Lorenzo’s Oil (1992)
    The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
    Bloodsucking Pharaohs in Pittsburgh (1988)
    Dominick & Eugene (1988)
    Robocop (1987)
    Gung Ho (1986)
    Flashdance (1983)
    The Deer Hunter (1978)
    The Fish that Saved Pittsburgh (1979)
    Night of the Living Dead (1968)
    Angels in the Outfield (1951)

    I live in Phoenix now and can’t use the tickets, but I wanted to participate: I was born in Pittsburgh and my parents met at the Cathedral of Learning. I grew up in the southwest, but my parents had many stories about the homeland.

    posted by Jarrod on 6-22-2008 at 8:48 pm

38. Pitssburgh Pirates Pitcher Pitches Perfect on LSD

    Former Pittsburgh Pirate’s pitcher Dock Ellis claims to have been on LSD when he pitched a no-hitter against the San Diego Padre’s on June 12, 1970. He thought it was a day off and didn’t know he was pitching until his girlfriend read it in the paper. He was in Los Angeles, took LSD at noon, read the paper at 1, got to the airport at 3:30, got to San Diego at 4:30, pitched at 6:05, and managed a no-hitter despite it all.

    posted by George on 6-23-2008 at 1:29 pm

39. Hey man, what’s going on? The foot is the thing

    posted by andrew on 6-23-2008 at 8:19 pm

40. Instead of saying “you guys” or “ya’ll” Pittsburghers say yinz thus creating the yinzer dialect. This includes such gems as gumbands (rubber bands) redd up (clean up) the Stillers (steelers) and ahn city (iron city local beer). Many things need done also, as in “My sink needs fixed because it leaks”.

    Pittsburgh also has the best sandwich ever; to be had at Primanti Brothers it has cole slaw and fries and traditionally also a fried egg (for the hungry steel workers who had no time to eat everything seperately).

    posted by Allison on 6-24-2008 at 8:42 pm

41. Here I go…
    The Steelers are the only NFL team with their logo on only one side of the helmet and where originally called the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Mr. Yuk was created at the Poison Center at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, McDonald’s Big Mac debuted and was test marketed in Pittsburgh, the first commercial radio station, first gas station, first movie theater, first baseball stadium, the Ferris wheel was invented by a native of Pittsburgh, Klondike ice cream bars started there and… Well, that’s all I got.

    posted by Mitch on 6-26-2008 at 12:54 am

42. Many people know about “Pittsburgh Firsts” and the city’s geography, but few know about it’s famous hills.

    Canton Ave., located in Beechview, a suburb of Pittsburgh, in known for being the steepest public street in the United States. With a 37% grade, Canton Ave. beats even San Francisco’s famed Lombard Street (which clocks in at a mere 27% grade).

    There is another steep hill also located in Pittsburgh; Dornbush St. (32%)

    Hills are definitely one of the things that makes Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh. But these hills are definitely worth checking out. (People who live around Canton Ave. gather in the winter to see cars try to make it up the hill for amusement!)

    American Eagle also started around Pittsburgh (McKees Rocks) in 1977. The same company is one of the main sponsors who are putting on this awesome concert!

    posted by Harrison on 6-26-2008 at 2:11 am

43. It’s not so much a piece of trivia, but former Pirates pitcher Nelly King is a resident in the retirement community that I work in. Other former Pirates often stop by to visit him, and I think that’s pretty damn cool. Almost as cool as concert tickets.

    posted by Jim on 6-26-2008 at 3:38 am

44. the top ten players on the Phils’ all-time sacrifice hit list (this includes successfully executed hits, not attempts), only one of them has played for the Phils since 1939. So the question is: Who is this player (ranked #7 on the list)?

    ANSWER: Larry Bowa.

    posted by andrew h on 6-26-2008 at 7:27 am

45. Carnegie Mellon University (housed in Pittsburgh) is the only college in the US who offers a master’s degree in bagpipe performance.

    Also, St. Anthony’s Chapel in Troy Hill houses the largest collection of Catholic relics outside of the Vatican — including the entire skeleton of St. Demetrius.

    posted by Mary on 6-26-2008 at 2:30 pm

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