Why Is Cleveland So Unique?

Cleveland is not only unique, the town prides itself on being different. We have a river that caught on fire, a mayor who caught himself on fire, and a mayor's wife who turned down an invitation to the White House from First Lady Pat Nixon because it was her bowling night.

We have the Rock n' Roll Hall Of Fame.

We have been nicknamed "The Best Location In The Nation."

We have a diverse culture with many nationalities and races coming together...visit the West Side Market to see it first hand.

This town has gone into default and come roaring back.

Our Lake Erie was almost pronounced "dead" and it was resuscitated back to become the Walleye Capital of the World!"

Art Modell broke our hearts and took our Browns to Baltimore but we kept the name and reincarnated the team.

We almost lost our Cleveland Indians only to breathe new life into them with the construction of Jacob's field.

Our Cavs will no doubt return to the NBA finals in '08.

The Cleveland Indians not only represent a great come back city with many wonderful people and traditions, they also represent a town of fabulous firsts and prominent personalities!

Cleveland Firsts:

1862- Free home delivery of mail and first mailman's uniform - Joseph Briggs

1879- Electric Streetlight and electric streetcar - Charles F. Brush

1890- Indoor shopping center (The Arcade)

1891- LifeSavers candy is created by chocolate maker Clarence Crane

1898 -"Scientific America" carried the first magazine automobile ad. The Winton Motor Car Company of Cleveland, OH, invited readers to "dispense with a horse".

1916- Gas mask - Garret A. Morgan

1921 -Automatic windshield wiper - Fred & William H. Folberth

1923- Traffic signal – Garret A. Morgan

1933 -Superman - Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster

1947- First African-American baseball player in the American League - Larry Doby, Cleveland Indians

1952- First Rock n’ Roll concert is held in Cleveland on 3/21/1952, the Moondog Coronation Ball.

1967- African-American mayor of a major city (Carl Stokes)

1970- The first NFL "Monday Night Football" game was played at Cleveland Municipal Stadium with the Cleveland Browns defeating the New York Jets, 31-20

1975 -First African-American manager in Major League Baseball – Frank Robinson, Cleveland Indians

1993- Cleveland named All-American City for fifth time. Prior awards in 1949, 1982, 1984, 1986.

Favorite Sons & Daughter, those who were born and/or lived and prospered in Cleveland:

Halle Berry - (born August 15, 1968) - Actress/Producer

Drew Carey - (born May 23, 1958) - Creator/Producer

Ben Curtis - 2003 PGA British Open Champion

Dorothy Dandridge - (born November 9, 1922) - Actress - First African American woman to receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress

Phil Donahue - (born December 21, 1935) - Talk show host and winner of 19 Daytime Emmys

Alan Freed - (born December 15, 1922) - D.J. who coined the phrase "Rock n' Roll" and created the very first Rock n' Roll concert

Arsenio Hall - (born February 12, 1955) - Comedian/Actor - The first African American host of a national televised late night talk show

Bob Hope - (born May 29, 1903) - Actor/Comedian - Winner of 5 Special and Honorary Oscars

Sammy Kaye - (born March 13, 1910) - Band leader - Kaye had more than 100 hit records from 1937-1953 and helped a generation get through World War II

Don King - Boxing promoter

Henry Mancini - (born April 16, 1924) - Composer of "Moon River," "The Pink Panther" and many more memorable melodies. Winner of 20 Grammys and four Oscars

Toni Morrison - (born February 18, 1931) - Winner of 1993 Nobel Prize for literature

Paul Newman - (born January 26, 1925) - Actor, director, race car driver and Oscar Winner for Best Actor in "The Color of Money"

The O'Jays (Eddie Levert & Walter Williams) - Popular R&B group

Jerry Siegel - (born October 17, 1914) & Joe Shuster (born July 10, 1914) - Creators of Superman

Molly Shannon - (born September 15, 1965) - Actress and cast member on NBC's Saturday Night Live

Joe Walsh - (born November 20, 1947) - Singer, songwriter, guitarist and member of the "James Gang" and the "Eagles"

Ray Anthony - Musician

Jim Backus - Actor

Jim Brown - Football Player/Actor

Traci Chapman - Singer/Songwriter

Tim Conway - Comedian Actor

Wes Craven - Film Director

Ruby Dee - Actress

Mike Douglas - Talk Show Host/Actor

Joseph Eaton - Founder Eaton Corp

Bob Feller - Baseball Player/Hall of Fame

Dorothy Fuldheim - Reporter/Newscaster

James A Garfield - 20th US President

Lillian Gish - Actress

Joel Grey - Dancer/Actor

Margaret Hamilton - Actress

Steve Harvey - Comedian & Actor

Patricia Heaton - Actress

John Heisman - Heisman Trophy

Anne Heche - Actress

Langston Hughes - Poet

Ross Hunter - Movie Producer

Burgess Meredith - Actor

Jesse Owens - Olympic Track Star

Monica Potter - Actress

John D. Rockefeller - Standard Oil Founder

Henry Sherwin - Founder Sherwin Williams Paints

Don Shula - Football Coach

Tris Speaker - Baseball Player/Hall Of Fame

George Steinbrenner III - Owner NY Yankees

Carl Stokes - First African American Mayor

Vernon Souffer - Founder Stouffer Foods

Archibald Willard - Artist, Painted Spirit of '76

Tom Wilson - Artist, Ziggy/Calvin & Hobbes

Debra Winger - Actress

Cy Young - Baseball Player/Hall of Fame

Lights, Camera, Action!
Did you know that Greater Cleveland is a location for major motion pictures?

Numerous movies have been filmed in Cleveland, including The Deer Hunter, A Christmas Story, Light of Day, Planes, Trains & Automobiles, Major League, Shawshank Redemption, Men In Black, Air Force One, Proximity, Welcome to Collinwood, and Spiderman 3.

So here is hoping we can hang another star above this great city…

Come on Tribe, this is our year!