What will Pittsburgh be noted for in 2060?

I have been thinking a lot lately about the history of both Pittsburgh and the Western Pennsylvania area in general. You don't have to dig very deep to find any number of things that originated here and have changed the world over a period of time. Pittsburgh has had an almost unequaled effect on the nation from its beginning and latter on the entire world.

Here are a number of examples some very well known and other not so well know as originating in Pittsburgh.


First Heart, Liver, Kidney Transplant - December 3, 1989
The first simultaneous heart, liver and kidney transplant was done at Presbyterian-University Hospital.

The First Internet Emoticon - 1982
The Smiley :-) was the first Internet emoticon, created by Carnegie Mellon University computer scientist Scott Fahlman.

First Robotics Institute - 1979
The Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon University was established to conduct basic and applied research in robotics technologies relevant to industrial and societal tasks.

First Mr Yuk Sticker - 1971
Mr Yuk was created at the Poison Center at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh after research indicated that the skull and crossbones previously used to identify poisons had little meaning to children who equate the symbol with exciting things like pirates and adventure.

First Night World Series Game - 1971
Game 4 of the 1971 World Series was the first night game in World Series history, a series that Pittsburgh went on to win, 4 games to 3.

First Big Mac - 1967
Created by Jim Delligatti at his Uniontown McDonald's, the Big Mac debuted and was test marketed in three other Pittsburgh-area McDonald's restaurants in 1967. By 1968 it was a mainstay on McDonald's menus throughout the country.

First Pull-Tab on Cans - 1962
The pull-tab was developed by Alcoa and was first used by Iron City Brewery in 1962. For many years, pull-tabs were only used in this area.

First Retractable Dome - September 1961
Pittsburgh's Civic Arena boasts the world's first auditorium with a retractable roof.

First U.S. Public Television Station - April 1, 1954
WQED, operated by the Metropolitan Pittsburgh Educational Station, was the first community-sponsored educational television station in America.

First Polio Vaccine - March 26, 1953
The polio vaccine was developed by Dr. Jonas E. Salk, a 38-year-old University of Pittsburgh researcher and professor.

First All-Aluminum Building - ALCOA - August 1953
The first aluminum-faced skyscraper was the Alcoa Building, a 30-story, 410 foot structure with thin stamped aluminum panels forming the exterior walls.

First Zippo Lighter - 1932
George G. Blaisdell invented the Zippo lighter in 1932 in Bradford, Pennsylvania. The name Zippo was chosen by Blaisdell because he liked the sound of the word "zipper" - which was patented around the same time in nearby Meadville, PA.

First Bingo Game - early 1920's
Hugh J. Ward first came up with the concept of bingo in Pittsburgh and began running the game at carnivals in the early 1920s, taking it nationwide in 1924. He secured a copyright on the game and wrote a book of Bingo rules in 1933.

First U.S. Commercial Radio Station - November 2, 1920
Dr. Frank Conrad, assistant chief engineer of Westinghouse Electric, first constructed a transmitter and installed it in a garage near his home in Wilkinsburg in 1916. The station was licensed as 8XK. At 6 p.m. on Nov. 2, 1920, 8KX became KDKA Radio and began broadcasting at 100 watts from a make-shift shack atop one of the Westinghouse manufacturing buildings in East Pittsburgh.

Daylight Savings Time - March 18, 1919
A Pittsburgh city councilman during the first World War, Robert Garland devised the nation's first daylight savings plan, instituted in 1918.

The First Gas Station - December, 1913
In 1913 the first automobile service station, built by Gulf Refining Company, opened in Pittsburgh at Baum Boulevard and St. Clair Street in East Liberty. Designed by J. H. Giesey.

The First Baseball Stadium in the U.S. - 1909
In 1909 the first baseball stadium, Forbes Field, was built in Pittsburgh, followed soon by similar stadiums in Chicago, Cleveland, Boston, and New York.

First Motion Picture Theatre - 1905
The first theater in the world devoted to the exhibition of motion pictures was the "Nickelodeon," opened by Harry Davis on Smithfield Street in Pittsburgh.

First Banana Split - 1904
Invented by Dr. David Strickler, a pharmacist, at Strickler's Drug Store in Latrobe, Pennsylvania.

The First World Series - 1903
The Boston Pilgrims defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates five games to three in baseball's first modern World Series in 1903

First Air Brake - 1869
The first practical air brake for railroads was invented by George Westinghouse in the 1860s and patented in 1869.

Long-Distance Electricity - 1885
Westinghouse Electric developed alternating current, allowing long-distance transmission of electricity for the first time.

First Ferris Wheel - 1892/1893
Invented by Pittsburgh native and civil engineer, George Washington Gale Ferris (1859-1896), the first Ferris Wheel was in operation at the World's Fair in Chicago. It was over 264 feet high and was capable of carrying more than 2,000 passengers at a time.


As you can see they range from the lowly of the banana split to the conquering of a deadly disease like polio. And there are many more that are not on this list. All of this from the minds of people some of whom were born here and others who were drawn to the Pittsburgh area because of its industry. Pittsburgh was truly an example of the American "melting pot" where faith and a strong work ethic all came together to produce a strong and productive culture.

At one time Pittsburgh was the third largest city in the country in terms of being the home of corporate headquarters. We were the largest steel producer in the world making more steel just in Pittsburgh during World War II than all of our enemies combined.

Then Pittsburgh fell on hard times. Starting with the collapse of the steel industry in the mid 1970's and continuing with a major loss of population to the south and south west as business left and people followed. Pittsburgh and surrounding Allegheny County have lost population to the point that the city had to be declared as a distressed area under state law in order to keep from filing bankruptcy. Despite optimistic predictions from local politicians and claims of budget balancing success by what could at best be called dubious means the city is still in danger of collapse from the legacy costs of employee pensions and existing union contracts. When someone finally has the back bone to stand up and tell the people and the city employees how the real world works it is not going to be pretty.

All of this leads me to wonder what Pittsburgh's place in history will be fifty years from now. Will my grand children be bragging to their kids about the innovative things that originated in their home town? Will Pittsburgh even be their home town or like so many others will they say yes I once lived in Pittsburgh?

All of these thing I ponder probably because I am one of those died in the wool Pittsburgh natives. I considered leaving during the lean times and I have never been a fan of Pittsburgh winters. I may yet in my latter years decide to find another abode in a warmer climate if not full time at least half the year. One of Pittsburgh shining qualities however is its people and for reasons I can't quite explain a lot of us born here call it home and despite all its disadvantages just can't seem to be separated from it. A lot will have to change in order to resolve some of the bigger problems of western Pennsylvania, beginning with the political culture, before Pittsburgh can rise to its one time place of prominence in the nation and the world.