It Happened in Pittsburgh First

2. Long-Distance Electricity - 1885 

Westinghouse Electric developed alternating current, allowing long-distance transmission of electricity for the first time.

3. First Ferris Wheel - 1892/1893 

Invented by Pittsburgh native and civil engineer, George Washington Gale Ferris (1859-1896), the first Ferris Wheel was in operation at the World's Fair in Chicago. It was over 264 feet high and was capable of carrying more than 2,000 passengers at a time. 

4. The First World Series - 1903 

The Boston Pilgrims defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates five games to three in baseball's first World Series in 1903. Captured here is Game 4 of the 1903 World Series between the Pittsburgh Pirates & the Boston Americans on October 6, 1903, at Exposition Park

5. First Banana Split - 1904 

Invented by Dr. David Strickler, a pharmacist, at Strickler's Drug Store in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. 

6. First Motion Picture Theatre - 1905 

The first theater in the world devoted to the exhibition of motion pictures was the "Nickelodeon," opened by Harry Davis on Smithfield Street in Pittsburgh. 

7. The First Baseball Stadium in the U.S. - 1909 

In 1909 the first baseball stadium, Forbes Field, was built in Pittsburgh, followed soon by similar stadiums in Chicago, Cleveland, Boston, and New York. This captured moment is from the grand opening of Pittsburgh's Forbes Field on June 30, 1909.

8. The First Gas Station - December 1913 

On December 1, 1913 the first automobile service station, built by Gulf Refining Company, opened in Pittsburgh at Baum Boulevard and St. Clair Street in East Liberty. The pagoda-style brick building was designed by J. H. Giesey. Along with free air and water, they offered tire and tube installation and crankcase service

9. Daylight Savings Time - March 18, 1919 

A Pittsburgh city councilman during the first World War, Robert Garland devised the nation's first daylight savings plan, instituted in 1918.

10. First U.S. Commercial Radio Station - November 2, 1920 

Dr. Frank Conrad, assistant chief engineer of Westinghouse Electric, first constructed a transmitter and installed it in a garage near his home in Wilkinsburg in 1916. The station was licensed as 8XK. At 6 p.m. on Nov. 2, 1920, 8KX became KDKA Radio and began broadcasting at 100 watts from a makeshift shack atop one of the Westinghouse manufacturing buildings in East Pittsburgh. 

11. First Bingo Game - early 1920's 

Hugh J. Ward first came up with the concept of bingo in Pittsburgh and began running the game at carnivals in the early 1920s, taking it nationwide in 1924. He secured a copyright on the game and wrote a book of Bingo rules in 1933. By the way, it was originally played with beans and called “Beano.”

12. First Zippo Lighter - 1932 

George G. Blaisdell invented the Zippo lighter in 1932 in Bradford, Pennsylvania. The name Zippo was chosen by Blaisdell because he liked the sound of the word "zipper" - which was patented around the same time in nearby Meadville, PA. 

13. First All-Aluminum Building - ALCOA - August 1953 

The first aluminum-faced skyscraper was the Alcoa Building, a 30-story, 410-foot structure with thin stamped aluminum panels forming the exterior walls. 

14. First Polio Vaccine - March 26, 1953 

The polio vaccine was developed by Dr. Jonas E. Salk, a 38-year-old University of Pittsburgh researcher and professor. 

15. First U.S. Public Television Station - April 1, 1954 

WQED, operated by the Metropolitan Pittsburgh Educational Station, was the first community sponsored educational television station in America. 

16. First Retractable Dome - September 1961 

Pittsburgh's Civic Arena boasts the world's first auditorium with a retractable roof.

17. First Pull-Tab on Cans - 1962 

The pull-tab was developed by Alcoa and was first used by Iron City Brewery in 1962. For many years, pull-tabs were only used in this area. 

18. First Big Mac - 1967 

Created by Jim Delligatti at his Uniontown McDonald's, the Big Mac debuted and was test marketed in three other Pittsburgh-area McDonald's restaurants in 1967. By 1968 it was a mainstay on McDonald's menus throughout the country. 

19. First Night World Series Game - 1971 

Game 4 of the 1971 World Series was the first night game in World Series history, a series that Pittsburgh went on to win, 4 games to 3. 

20. First Mr. Yuk Sticker – 1971

Mr. Yuk was created at the Poison Center at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh after research indicated that the skull and crossbones previously used to identify poisons had little meaning to children who equate the symbol with exciting things like pirates and adventure. 

21. First Robotics Institute - 1979 

The Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon University was established to conduct basic and applied research in robotics technologies relevant to industrial and societal tasks. 

22. The First Internet Emoticon - 1982 

The Smiley :-) was the first Internet emoticon, created by Carnegie Mellon University computer scientist Scott Fahlman. 

23. First Heart, Liver, Kidney Transplant 

The first simultaneous heart & liver transplant was done at Presbyterian-University Hospital on February 14, 1984. The recipient was 6-year-old, Stormie Jones from Texas.