“Anytime you have an opportunity to make things better and you don’t, then you are wasting your time on this Earth.” ~Roberto Clemente Pittsburgh awoke to a big snow storm on New Year’s Day in 1973. The news that greeted Pittsburghers as they turned on their radios and televisions was unbelievable. Tragically, their star Pirate baseball player had been taken from them in the prime
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Henry John Heinz left a considerable legacy in the city of Pittsburgh. Henry John was the oldest of eight children born to German immigrants. He was a hard working businessman who grew it into a multi-million dollar enterprise based in Pittsburgh. Henry was both shrewd and careful with his wealth. He gave generously to charitable and educational institutions. His endowment has carried on his charitable
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Pittsburgh is proud of its famous sons and daughters, including William Pitt, Stephen Foster, Andrew Carnegie, Nellie Bly, and Fred Rogers. But like most families, Pittsburgh has had its share of black sheep. Some of Pittsburgh’s most notorious residents have stories that still fascinate today. Simon Girty You may have heard of the stream called Girty’s Run. A tributary of the Allegheny River that runs
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Attack Theatre, which creates original collaborative dance-based performances, was founded in 1994 by Michele de la Reza and Peter Kope. In honor of the theatre’s 20th anniversary (in 2014), Popular Pittsburgh asked Michele to reflect on the theatre’s two decades of success. Q. What was it about Pittsburgh that made you decide to found Attack Theatre here? A. Originally from Houston, Texas, I moved to
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With the rising popularity of zombies in American culture, many cities are fighting over the title of “Zombie Capital of the World”. There may be no settlement to this dispute, but it’s certain that Pittsburgh has strong roots in zombie pop culture history and remains an important part of what makes Pittsburgh unique. Originally, zombies in film were much different from the zombies of today.
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The Pittsburgh Penguins, over the past forty-plus years, have turned themselves into one of the most storied franchises in the history of the National Hockey League. Today, led by their young captain, Sidney Crosby, the Penguins have proven year after year to be one of the NHL’s most successful franchises, as well as boasting the title of Stanley Cup Champions in 2009. There has been
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Jazz is a purely American art form. No one is quite sure where it first began, but its roots lie in the African American experience of the South at the beginning of the 20th century. Perhaps the reason so many are devotees of this music form is that it is so open to interpretation, leaving room for various artists to put their unique stamp on
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Over the decades, Pittsburgh has had numerous gifted professional athletes grace our fields, parks, stadiums, and rinks. A rare few not only excel in their sport, but also capture the city’s heart. Pirates’ Andrew McCutchen is one of those rare few. Birth of Pittsburgh’s MVP Andrew McCutchen was born on October 10, 1986, in Fort Meade, Florida, to Lorenzo McCutchen and Petrina Swan, who were
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