9 Things You Should Know About Pittsburgh

downtown Pittsburgh

We put together nine interesting facts about our lovely city that are definitely worth knowing. Pass every Pittsburgh quiz with these nine fun facts and maybe learn a thing or two too!

1. It’s incredibly easy to get your steps in—literally.

About Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh has a grand total of 712 sets of public steps, which surpasses notoriously hilly city San Francisco by over 300 sets of steps.

2. We have Seattle beat for rainiest city.

About Pittsburgh

It may be by only just two days, but we beat the notoriously rainy city for most rainy days in a year. Utilize those sunny days when we get them!

3. We are the original emoji makers.

About Pittsburgh

It’s true, a Carnegie Mellon University professor named Scott Fahlman first used the iconic 🙂 symbol in September 1982 on an online bulletin board. Now, the simple colon and parenthesis sign have evolved into full emoji keyboards!

4. We are home to the world’s first museum of modern art.

About Pittsburgh

It opened in 1895 as the globe’s first museum of modern art—that being the Carnegie Museum of Art.

5. We created the banana split.

About Pittsburgh

Yep, you can brag to out of towners that a local created the tasty treat. David E. Strickler, a Latrobe apprentice pharmacist, made sundaes at the Tassel Pharmacy soda fountain.

6. The first moving picture theater in the U.S. was in the ‘burgh.

About Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh was home to the country’s first moving picture theater, opening in 1905.

7. Terrible towels were created for an interesting reason.

About Pittsburgh

Myron Cope’s symbolic black and gold towels were created in 1975 because local department stores sold out of yellow and black hand towels faster than other colors. Customers wanted matching towel sets for their homes so Cope decided to create the now ubiquitous rally towel.

8. Primanti sandwiches were invented for a very specific reason.

About Pittsburgh

Those sandwiches sure are delicious, but did you know they were invented during the Great Depression so workers can hold their entire meal in one hand and keep laboring.

9. The first ever gas station opened in Pittsburgh.

About Pittsburgh

In 1913, the first ever gas station was erected on the corner of Baum Blvd. and St. Clair St. If only we could go back to gas prices at that time!

So… now you can be sure to impress your friends, family and trivia buffs with everything you now know about Pittsburgh!  Want more?  Here’s some Pittsburgh Penguins Trivia

Some Facts About the Penguins, and 8 reasons why Pittsburgh is the greatest city in the world!

18 thoughts on “9 Things You Should Know About Pittsburgh”

    1. Your correct.. 🙂

      Home of Big Mac, Ferris Wheel, Konfike, Skyscaper ice cream cones, Heinz 57 and Clark Bar too ! 🙂

    1. Actually the Big Mac was invented in Uniontown right down the road from my family home. It is admittedly in the greater Pittsburgh area.

  1. Every person listened to Regis in the morning – with all his crazy friends. The garbage man (can’t remember the names anymore, can someone help??) was it Louie? , the por favor Mexican fellow, etc. Loved that radio show.

  2. How many remember Bill ” Chilly Billy” Cardille. on Saturday nights. And how about “The Night of the Living Dead” filmed just outside Pgh.

  3. Barbara Geesey

    How about the incline off Boggs Ave. that held 2 cars…. rode it every day then walked across the Smithfield bridge right across from it.

  4. I took the trolley which stoped in front of my apartment on Ellsworth Ave. to Presbyterian University Hospital for work as a nurse every morning. In the late 60’s.

  5. Folks, you got the wrong story about the reason behind Myron’s TT….talk to Ted Atkins, the former GM for WTAE Radio to get the real story!

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