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Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

"The Steel City"
Built at the confluence of three rivers where Andrew Carnegie forged the steel that built America — Pittsburgh endured the collapse of its industry and reinvented itself as a leader in healthcare, education, and technology.
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Founded 1758 | Population 302,971 | Peak 676,806 (1950) | County Allegheny County

Top 10 Most Important Events for Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

1
1875Carnegie Steel Empire: Andrew Carnegie built his steel empire centered on Pittsburgh, eventually producing more steel than all of Great Britain. Carnegie Steel became U.S. Steel in 1901, the world's first billion-dollar corporation.
2
1892Homestead Strike: A violent confrontation between striking steelworkers and Pinkerton agents at Carnegie's Homestead Works left 16 dead. The strike's defeat set back the labor movement in steel for decades.
3
2018Tree of Life Synagogue Shooting: A gunman killed 11 people at the Tree of Life synagogue in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood. It was the deadliest antisemitic attack in American history.
4
1889Johnstown Flood: The South Fork Dam, maintained by a private club of Pittsburgh industrialists including Carnegie and Frick, failed catastrophically. The resulting flood killed 2,209 people in Johnstown, 60 miles downstream.
5
1758Fort Pitt Established: The British captured French Fort Duquesne and built Fort Pitt at the strategic confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers, founding what would become Pittsburgh.
6
1955Salk Polio Vaccine: Dr. Jonas Salk developed the polio vaccine at the University of Pittsburgh, one of the most important medical breakthroughs of the 20th century.
7
1985Steel Industry Collapses: The collapse of the American steel industry devastated Pittsburgh, eliminating over 150,000 jobs. The city was forced to reinvent itself around healthcare, education, and technology.
8
1877Great Railroad Strike: Railroad workers in Pittsburgh rioted during the national rail strike, burning 39 buildings and over 1,000 railroad cars. State militia killed 20 people in the confrontation.
9
1920KDKA First Commercial Radio: KDKA in Pittsburgh became one of the first commercial radio stations in America, broadcasting the 1920 presidential election results and launching the age of broadcast media.
10
2009Steelers Win Sixth Super Bowl: The Pittsburgh Steelers won their record sixth Super Bowl, more than any other NFL franchise, cementing the city's identity as a championship sports town.
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Population Over Time

0 169,202 338,403 507,605 676,806 1820 1840 1860 1880 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020

Latest News in Pittsburgh

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Complete Historical Timeline

1758 Government
Fort Pitt built at the three rivers
1816 Government
Pittsburgh incorporated as a city
1875 Industry
Carnegie builds steel empire
1877 Labor
Great Railroad Strike violence
1889 Disaster
Johnstown Flood kills 2,209
1892 Labor
Homestead Strike at Carnegie Steel
1901 Business
U.S. Steel formed — first billion-dollar company
1920 Science
KDKA broadcasts election results
1950 Government
Population peaks at 677,000
1955 Science
Salk develops polio vaccine at Pitt
1975 Sports
Steelers begin dynasty with four Super Bowls
1985 Industry
Steel industry collapse
2009 Sports
Steelers win sixth Super Bowl
2018 Crime
Tree of Life synagogue shooting

Did You Know?

1
Pittsburgh has 446 bridges — more than any other city in the world, including Venice — which is why it's sometimes called the 'City of Bridges'.
2
The polio vaccine developed by Jonas Salk at the University of Pittsburgh was never patented — when asked who owned the patent, Salk famously said 'The people. Could you patent the sun?'.
3
Pittsburgh lost more than half its population between 1950 and 2020, but its reinvention around healthcare (UPMC), education (Carnegie Mellon, Pitt), and robotics has made it a model for post-industrial cities.
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