July 29 - A First in "The West" - by which I mean Pittsburgh!!!

   Posted on July 29, 2022     

This is an update of my post published on July 29, 2011:

The first U.S. newspaper west of the Alleghenies was published on this date in 1786.

Back then, it was called the Pittsburgh Gazette - but now it's called the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 

Nowadays Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, doesn't seem very far west, but back then it marked the western edge of publishing in North America!

I just went to Pittsburgh for the first time. My favorite sight there was the 42-story Cathedral of Learning, which is a wonderful gothic building where Pitt students can study in cozy medieval-looking nooks or in grand halls with lofty arched ceilings. Two floors of classrooms have been decorated by people from particular countries—everything from Israel to Japan, from Wales to Italy, from Africa to Ukraine—to represent and teach about that country. I spent several happy hours exploring all the “nation” rooms open to the public.

Also on this date:

Inventor Walter Hunt's birthday 

Writer Alexis de Tocqueville's birthday

Rain Day Festival in Waynesburg, PA

National Lasagna Day

Birthday of photographer Dave Koh's daughter

Ólavsøka / National Day in the Faroe Islands

Anniversary of the opening the Cape Cod Canal

Global Tiger Day

National Lipstick Day

Olsok in Norway

Talk in an Elevator Day

(Last Friday in July)

National Get Gnarly Day

(Last Friday in July)

Plan ahead:

Check out my Pinterest boards for:

• July holidays
• July birthdays
• Historical anniversaries in July
  
  

And here are my Pinterest boards for:

• August holidays
• August birthdays
• Historical anniversaries in August

July 29, 2011 - Olsok – Norway

Insel Halsnoy in Norway

With the horrendous tragedy that struck Norway this week, this Norwegian holiday will be more solemn than usual. Still, there is much strength and courage in the Norwegian people to celebrate.

Check out last year's post.

Also on this day...

First U.S. newspaper west of the Alleghenies published – 1786

The Pittsburgh Gazette (now called the Post Gazette) was first published on this day in 1786. Nowadays Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, doesn't seem very far west, but back then it marked the western edge of publishing in North America!

I just went to Pittsburgh for the first time. My favorite sight there was the 42-story Cathedral of Learning, which is a wonderful gothic building where Pitt students can study in cozy medieval-looking nooks or in grand halls with lofty arched ceilings. Two floors of classrooms have been decorated by people from particular countries—everything from Israel to Japan, from Wales to Italy, from Africa to Ukraine—to represent and teach about that country. I spent several happy hours exploring all the “nation” rooms open to the public.