Making History Blog
Congressman James Fulton: Strong on Space
President Kennedy signs National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Authorizations, July 21, 1961. Congressman Fulton shakes the President’s hand after he signed the funding bill for NASA. Courtesy of…
Apollo on Earth (and in Outer Space)
“‘Why write a history of Apollo?’ Importance is relative.” – “History of Apollo, PA 1816-1916: The Year of a Hundred Years” by T.J. Henry, M.D. “Moon soil” from Moon…
Pittsburgh and the Moon
A commitment to innovation and a willingness to fund new ideas has made Western Pennsylvania a center for innovation. Regional industries supplied settlers going West, armed the Union Army…
5 Can’t-Miss Artifacts at Fort Pitt
Looking for an escape from the cold this winter? Venture through Point State Park to the Fort Pitt Museum for a walk through Pittsburgh history in two floors and…
5 Questions with Interpreter Lisa Maust
Historical interpreters help tell the story of Meadowcroft through the centuries. Visitors exploring the site’s three recreated villages see history come to life as interpreters share information and reenact…
Wintering in the Ohio Country with James Smith
“Portrait of Col. James Smith,” artist unknown, c. 1800-1810. Courtesy Warren J. Shonert Americana Collection, Eva G. Farris Special Collections, W. Frank Steely Library, Northern Kentucky University. James Smith’s…
Forks of the Ohio Homeschool Series
Students sift through dirt unearthed at Point State Park with state employees to identify the history of the Point through simple archeology. One day a month during the spring…
5 Questions with… Interpreter Sarah Kizina
Meadowcroft Rockshelter and Historic Village invites learners to get out of the classroom and experience history in action. Through its three recreated villages representing the 16th, 18th, and 19th…
Earthrise
Apollo 8, the first manned mission to the moon, entered lunar orbit on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, 1968. That evening, the astronauts-Commander Frank Borman, Command Module Pilot Jim Lovell,…
Tuning in the Holidays: Recalling Pittsburgh’s Connections to the TV Holiday Special
Poster for the 1978 NBC TV showing of “The Stingiest Man in Town,” 1978. Alcoa employees received this as an insert in the company newsletter in November 1978. Aluminum…