Some Fun Facts About Pittsburgh, PA
Pittsburgh is a city that we all hold dear in our hearts. It is the birthplace of many wonderful inventions and some star-studded folk. The city was named Pittsburgh in 1758, by General John Forbes, in honor of British statesman William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham. Over the course of the 19th and 20th centuries, the city quickly turned into an industrial powerhouse, producing much of the raw materials that powered the American economy at the time. Today Pittsburgh is an industry leader in the world of technology, robotics and medical advancements. Let’s take a look at some of the world-changing inventions and people who call Pittsburgh their home.
The Invention of the Polio Vaccine
Polio is an infectious disease caused by the poliovirus. The disease commonly occurs in children and affects the spinal cord causing muscle weakness, paralysis and, in worse cases, death. In the 19th and 20th centuries, Polio caused the deaths of thousands of people around the world. For seven years medical researcher and virologist Jonas Salk, and his team, set out to find a cure for the dreaded virus. In 1955 it was announced by the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Medicine, where Salk and his team were conducting their research, that Salk and his team had found a cure for Polio.
The City of Bridges
Pittsburgh was once the center of the American Steel Industry. By 1910 Pittsburgh alone produced around 25 million tons of steel. Pittsburgh was largely known as the ‘City of Steel’. However, due to the city’s vast array of fragmented valleys, hillsides and river plains, city planners set out on building several bridges to connect the different landmasses and isolated communities to one another. As a result, Pittsburgh is now home to more than 446 bridges, more than any other city in the world. People have thus dubbed Pittsburgh as the ‘City of Bridges’.
The Invention of the Emoticon
It’s hard to imagine a world without emojis and Gifs. Heck, there even exists an Emoji Movie. But before social media and smartphones took over pretty much every aspect of our lives, people sent messages and emails with no smiling, laughing or even crying icons. That is, however, until computer scientist and research professor at Carnegie Mellon University, Scott Fahlman wanted to add some playfulness to his emails and invented the emoticon, a sideways smiley face. This simple idea evolved into the world of emojis that we live in today.
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