by Denise Calaman

Created on: January 11, 2009   Last Updated: October 28, 2010

Today Pittsburgh is a modern city, that operates a huge banking industry. Pittsburgh's cultural district  rivals that of  bigger cities and the city is home to three major league sports teams. Pittsburgh has worked hard to reinvent itself as a modern city with a cultural flare. One of the reasons Pittsburgh has been able to reinvent itself so well is its people. Throughout history, many Pittsburgh residents have went on to become famous inventors, atheletes, artists and musicians. It was through their hard work, dedication and generosity that our lives have been forever changed.

Jonas Salk

One resident of Pittsburgh who has saved many lives, is Jonas Salk, inventor of the polio vaccine. Salk was born in New York, New York in 1914 but moved to Pittsburgh in 1947 to head the university's virus research lab. It was there in the early 1950's that he developed and tested the first polio vaccine. This vaccine has saved millions of lives throughout the world and today polio has all but been eradicated in first world countries.

Andrew Carnegie

The polio vaccine isn't the only invention to find its birthplace in Pittsburgh. Andrew Carnegie, who is thought of as transforming Pittsburgh into a steel town, did so by creating the Bessemer converter. The Bessemer converter made it possible to mass produce steel. Andrew Carnegie was born in the United Kingdom in 1837 but immigrated with his family to the United States in 1848. His family settled in Alleghany, Pennsylvania, just outside of Pittsburgh. Carnegie founded Carnegie Steel Company, based in Pittsburgh. His company was the leading manufacturer of steel in the entire world. He sold his company in 1901 to JP Morgan who changed the name of the company to what today is known as US Steel. US Steel continues to be headquartered in Pittsburgh.

Henry J Heinz

There is another product made in Pittsburgh that millions of people worldwide use everyday and couldn't imagine a summertime picnic without it. Henry J Heinz immigrated to the United States from Germany with his family and settled in Pittsburgh's south side neighborhood. From the time he was a young child he was growing and canning his own vegetables and in 1869 with his business partners started manufacturing Heinz ketchup. Henry Heinz died in 1919. At that time the Heinz companies had over 20 processing plants around the country with the company headquarters in Pittsburgh where it remains today.

Andrew Mellon

A third philanthropist also called Pittsburgh home

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