Portal:Pittsburgh

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Pittsburgh is the second largest city in Pennsylvania and its metropolitan area ranks as the largest in both Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley while being the 22nd largest urban area in the United States. Pittsburgh is dominated by the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers which form the Ohio River. This strategic juncture was a major site of the North American theater of the Seven Years' War, with Great Britain winning control in 1758 to establish Fort Pitt in honor of "The Great Commoner", William Pitt. Following the American Revolution, the area grew as an important transportation center and primary gateway to the American frontier. 19th century coal and iron production made Pittsburgh into the world leader of steel and by 1910 the city was the eighth largest in the United States. With the collapse of American industries in the 1980s, Pittsburgh lost population but has successfully transitioned its economy into a world leader of healthcare, technology, education, and financial services. Pittsburgh is known colloquially as "The Steel City", for its continued leadership in steel production, as well as "The City of Bridges" for its world record 466 structures. The city's official colors of black and gold are so symbolic that all pro-sports teams from the area, the Penguins, Pirates, and Steelers have also adopted them. Multiple publications have named Pittsburgh the "most livable city" in the United States for its low crime, affordability, and plentiful educational, cultural, and recreational amenities with its skyline vistas ranked by USA Today as second only to the Grand Canyon. Template:/box-footer Show new selections “ I was born twice . . . in 1934 and again in 1955 when I came to Pittsburgh. I am thankful to say that I lived two lives. ” ~ Roberto Clemente more Pittsburgh quotes at Wikiquote! 400px Photo credit: Moira Burke Hall of Architecture at the Carnegie Museum of Art The 2009 G-20 Pittsburgh Summit was the third meeting of the G-20 heads of state in discussion of financial markets and the world economy, which was held at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh on September 24–25, 2009. Announced shortly after the April 2009 G-20 London summit, U.S. President Barack Obama volunteered to host this summit, initially planning to hold it in New York City and coordinating it with the opening of the United Nations General Assembly. However, due to coordination issues, on May 28, 2009, the Obama Administration announced a change of venue to Pittsburgh in order to highlight the city's economic recovery following the collapse of its manufacturing sector in the latter half of the 20th century. In response to the Global credit crisis, a G20 summit in one year was proposed shortly after the London summit in April 2009. Amongst the issues discussed was a proposal to radically reform the International Monetary Fund. French President Nicolas Sarkozy also suggested that there would be an evaluation of measures already taken. The primary venue of the summit was the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, which was at one point the largest LEED certified building in the world. A working dinner for world leaders was held at the Phipps Conservatory & Botanical Gardens, chosen to highlight its environmentally friendly features including an earth-sheltered welcome center and a Tropical Forest Conservatory described as the world’s most energy efficient. Other venues to be used around the city include The Andy Warhol Museum, the Pittsburgh High School for the Creative and Performing Arts and Rosemont, the working farm of Teresa Heinz Kerry. Roberto Clemente Walker (August 18, 1934 – December 31, 1972) was a Puerto Rican professional baseball player and a Major League Baseball right fielder. Clemente was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the and played eighteen seasons, from 1955 through 1972, all in Pittsburgh. He was awarded the National League's Most Valuable Player Award in 1966. During the course of his career, Clemente was selected to participate in the league's All Star Game on twelve occasions. He won twelve Gold Glove Awards and led the league in batting average in four different seasons. He was involved in charity work in Puerto Rico and other Latin American countries, often delivering baseball equipment and food to them. He died in an aviation accident on December 31, 1972, while en route to deliver aid to earthquake victims in Nicaragua. His body was never recovered. He was elected to the Hall of Fame posthumously in 1973, thus becoming the first Latin American to be selected and the only current Hall of Famer for whom the mandatory five year waiting period has been waived since the wait was instituted in 1954. Clemente is also the first Hispanic player to win a World Series as a starter (1960), win a league MVP award (1966) and win a World Series MVP award (1971). In 1973, Clemente was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal and the first Presidential Citizens Medal. In 2002, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Several honors have been dedicated to Clemente in Pittsburgh, including a statue outside PNC Park, designing the park's right field wall to be 21 feet in honor of his number, and the renaming of one of the Three Sisters bridges in to the Roberto Clemente Bridge. The Gateway Clipper Fleet is a Pittsburgh-based fleet of riverboats that has been in operation since 1958. The fleet cruises the three rivers of Pittsburgh- the Monongahela, the Allegheny, and the Ohio with six watercraft: the 1,000-passenger Majestic, the 600-passenger Empress, the 400-passenger Princess, the 338-passenger Three Rivers Queen, the 310-passenger Duchess, and the 150-passenger Countess. The Empress is a actually a barge that is pushed by a towboat named the Empress II. The Gateway Clipper Fleet offers many types of cruises, from day trips for school groups to party cruises to formal dinner cruises. Shuttle service to PNC Park and Heinz Field is available on days of Pittsburgh Pirates, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Pitt Panthers home games. The fleet is believed to be the largest inland riverboat fleet in the United States. The fleet formerly was moored at the Monongahela Wharf, but currently it is moored at Station Square. Pitt Panthers basketball at the Petersen Events Center The Pittsburgh Panthers, commonly also referred to as the Pitt Panthers, are the athletic teams of University of Pittsburgh. Pitt fields 19 varsity teams at the highest level of competitive collegiate athletics in the United States, NCAA Division I, which compete as members of the Big East Conference, Eastern Wrestling League, East Atlantic Gymnastics League, and Eastern College Athletic Conference. The 26 time bowl qualifying football team founded in 1889 and the thirty time tournament qualifying basketball team founded in 1905, are the most popular sports Pitt fields and enjoy significant local and national followings. Heinz Field hosts the football team and the Petersen Events Center hosts the basketball team. The university's athletic program is one of only five current NCAA Division 1A schools to have won multiple national championships in both football (9) and basketball (2), and the Panthers have been ranked as having among the best combinations of football and basketball programs by multiple publications. Pitt was ranked as having the fifth best combination of football and basketball programs in CBSSports.com's Flourishing Five ranking in 2010. In its "Hoops & Helmets" list of the best combinations, CollegeFootballNews.com has ranked Pitt fifth in 2010 and 3rd in 2009. ▼ Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania ► Buildings and structures in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania ► Culture of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania ► Economy of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania ► Education in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania ► Geography of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania ► Government of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania ► History of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania ► Organizations based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania ► Pittsburgh templates ► Sports in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania ► Transportation in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania ► Images of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Template:/box-footer Bilbao Da Nang Donetsk Fernando de la Mora Karmiel 45x60px Matanzas Misgav Ostrava Prešov Saarbrücken Misgav Saitama San Isidro Sheffield Skopje Sofia Wuhan Zagreb Template:/box-footer (1754) George Washington leaves Virginia en route with 1,867 men to meet at Ft. Necessity. (1872) The city annexes Allentown, St. Clair, Lawrenceville, West End, Southside & Mt. Washington. (1923) A Squirrel Hill oil derek is destroyed by fire on Wightman Street. (1945) Gen. Ridgway is honored on the cover of Time. (1949) Pittsburgh Police respond to a riot after 250 communist party members are provoked by an angry Northside crowd. (1950) The Carnegie opens its model display of the CLO's proposed "umbrella dome". (1963) A panel of scientists & engineers announced that the city was ready for a complete rapid transit system & had a "golden opportunity for new industrial growth in the area." (1970) Zoo president Edward Magee addresses a William Penn conference along with Rani the 8 month old elephant, 2 lambs, a snapping turtle, donkey, llama & eagle. (1987) Mellon Financial announces its 1st ever quarterly loss & dividend reduction after huge losses in American oil & Brazil loans. (1988) At Washington, Penguins hall of famer Mario Lemieux scores his 12th hat trick, his 5th & the teams 9th of the season. (1989) The Grateful Dead begin recording the 2 day concert at the Civic Arena for Grateful Dead Download Series Volume 9. (1989) Mario Lemuiex runs away with the league title in goals, points and ties Gretzky for assists as the team wins the season finale in Philadelphia 6-5 before their 1st playoffs since 1982. (1993) Pitt opens the 87,000²' $29.2 millionia Center for Biotechnology and Bioengineering on the former J&L Steel site. (1996) Robert McNeilly is sworn in as police chief at City Hall, he will be the longest tenured chief in modern history. (2000) Somerset County announces the construction of the 10 wind turbine Somerset Wind Farm. (2003) U.S. Steel announces it will become the largest steel maker in Eastern Europe with its $43.4 millionia purchase of Železara Smederevo. (2008) Michelle Obama makes her 1st Pennsylvania visit as Teresa Heinz 1st announces her endorsement of Sen. Obama in speeches at CMU's Skibo Gym. Corporations Landmarks: National State City PHLF Media Mayors Movies Nationally broadcast Television Neighborhoods People Tallest buildings Template:/box-footer ...that Edward Manning Bigelow (pictured) is known as the "father of Pittsburgh's parks"? ... that on April 5, 1933, the Independent Brewing Company of Pittsburgh sent President Roosevelt a case of low point beer to celebrate the passing of the Cullen–Harrison Act? ... that the 1952 Pittsburgh Pirates, the worst Pirates team of the 20th century, were so bad that their catcher Joe Garagiola later said "In an eight-team league, we should've finished ninth"? ... that evidence from Gerald Gardner, a man who served as president of the Pittsburgh chapter of the National Organization for Women, led to a ban on sex-segregated help wanted ads, a ruling upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in a 1973 ruling? ... that University of Pittsburgh basketball player DeJuan Blair grew up 600 yards (550 m)%s from the university's campus? ... that demand for beer from Pittsburgh's East End Brewing Company spiked after the Pittsburgh Steelers won Super Bowl XLIII? Pennsylvania University of Pittsburgh Ohio West Virginia New France Portal Portal Portal Portal Portal WikiProject WikiProject WikiProject WikiProject WikiProject Template:/box-footer WikiProject Pittsburgh An invitation to join us! You are invited to participate in WikiProject Pittsburgh, a WikiProject dedicated to developing and improving articles about the City of Pittsburgh and the surrounding Western Pennsylvania area. Please see the Pittsburgh WikiProject page for more information. See yinz there! Template:/box-footer Pittsburgh on Wikinews News Pittsburgh on Wikiquote Quotes Pittsburgh on Commons Images Pittsburgh on Wikisource Texts Pittsburgh on Wikibooks Books Pittsburgh on Wikivoyage Travel Template:/box-footer What are portals? · List of portals · Featured portals