Steel City History

There’s something a little sinister about all that steel and brick, which is probably why movies like “The Silence of the Lambs” and “The Dark Knight Rises” were filmed here.

The “Night of the Living Dead” and “Dawn of the Dead”...

Michael Keaton, Demi Moore, Andy Warhol and Christina Aguilera walk into a bar. Wait, no. It’s supposed to say what do they all have in common. All famous Pittsburgh natives. Thanks goes to Dr. Jonas Salk and the University of Pittsburgh for the creation of the first polio vaccine. N-13. Bingo! Hugh J. Ward came up with the game in the early 1920s and it’s been played religiously at carnivals and fire halls ever since. No carnival would be complete without a ride on the Ferris Wheel, invented by Pittsburgh local George Washington Gale Ferris Jr. in 1892.

Pittsburghese: The language only real Pittsburghers speak and only they can understand, including “warsh” and “yinz.” Pittsburghers use something called a “parking chair” to save their parking space in the street, especially, but not limited to, use in the winter months with heavy snow.

Winter got a little better in 1940 with the first Ice Capades, one performance of the premier season was held in Pittsburgh’s Duquesne Gardens arena. Everyone knows Primanti Bros. Sandwich is a Pittsburgh restaurant staple. Not everyone knows that their famous French fry and coleslaw topped sandwiches were invented during the Depression so that laborers could hold their entire meal with one hand and work with the other. Another famous sandwich was invented in Pittsburgh: The Big Mac. Pittsburghers are so proud of Jim Delligatti’s delectable invention, they even made a museum for this Golden-Arches classic. Some other American favorites such as the Clark bar, Klondike Bar, and Heinz Ketchup all originated in Pittsburgh.