Things I Can’t Believe Actually Happened in Cleveland’s History 🔥😲

Cleveland, you weird, wonderful, occasionally flammable city. 🥹

For a place that sometimes gets overlooked, we sure have managed to leave our mark on history in ways that range from “Wait, that’s amazing!” to “Oh no, sweetie, what are you doing?” 😟

Let’s take a little journey through some of Cleveland’s most unbelievable moments—both the proud and the, uh… less proud.

1. We Invented the Term “Rock and Roll” (You’re Welcome, World) 🎸

Ok, so most of us know that rock and roll was supposedly ‘invented here or something’, but do you know the deets?

Cleveland DJ Alan Freed is the reason your dad’s classic rock collection even exists. He’s the guy who first used the term “rock and roll” on air in the early 1950s, basically giving birth to an entire genre. That’s why we have the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame instead of, say, Topeka.

2. The River. Caught. On. Fire. 🔥🚣‍♂️

This one’s famous, but let’s appreciate the full absurdity: In 1969, the Cuyahoga River had so many chemicals floating around in it that it literally burst into flames.

It was so filthy that debris floating on the surface literally ignited when sparks from a passing train hit the water, basically turning it into a Molotov cocktail, but instead of revolution, it just embarrassed us into creating the Environmental Protection Agency.

So, silver lining? 😂 Also, not to brag but it wasn’t just once…the river’s caught fire something like 13 times. #overachievers

3. Balloonfest '86: A Beautiful Disaster 🎈😱

Some genius decided it would be a great idea to set a world record by releasing 1.5 million balloons into the sky. Spoiler alert: It was not a great idea.

The balloons didn’t just float away—they created a rubbery apocalypse. They clogged Lake Erie, shut down a runway, and even interfered with a Coast Guard rescue. Congratulations, Cleveland, we made a happy thing tragic.

4. The Time Cleveland Gave the World the First Rock Concert (And It Was Almost a Disaster) 🎸🔥

Before Coachella, before Woodstock, before your uncle’s garage band—there was The Moondog Coronation Ball. In 1952, Cleveland DJ Alan Freed (aka that same guy who popularized the term rock and roll) decided to throw the world’s first-ever rock concert at the Cleveland Arena.

He wildly underestimated how many teenagers wanted to see their new favorite music live, and the venue was overrun with thousands of extra fans. The fire department shut it down after just one song. So yes, Cleveland didn’t just birth rock and roll—it also pioneered the tradition of concerts being absolute chaos.

5. The Whole “Ten-Cent Beer Night” Catastrophe 🍻🚨

The Cleveland Indians (now Guardians) once had a “genius” marketing idea: sell beer for ten cents. It ended exactly how you think it would. The 1974 game turned into a full-blown riot, with drunk fans storming the field, stealing bases (literally), and fighting players. It got so bad the team had to forfeit.

6. Cleveland Is Why We Have Lifesavers Candy 🍬

You know those little ring-shaped candies you pop in your mouth and immediately forget about? Yeah, those were invented by a Cleveland man named Clarence Crane in 1912.

The best part? He originally made them to withstand summer heat because chocolate kept melting. That’s right, Lifesavers exist because Cleveland summers are too hot for snacks.

7. Our Subway System Is a Hauntingly Abandoned Relic 🚇👻

Did you know Cleveland has an abandoned subway? Yep, under the Veterans Memorial Bridge, there’s an entire ghost town of a transit system that never really took off.

Now it just sits there, unused and full of potential ghost activity. 👻

8. The Cleveland Browns Left. Then Came Back. Then Broke Our Hearts Again. 🏈💔

We lost our football team in 1995 when the Browns packed up and moved to Baltimore. The NFL felt so bad for us that they literally gave us a new team in 1999.

Unfortunately, the new Browns have been just as cursed as before, but hey, at least we technically never lost our franchise.

9. The First Traffic Light Was Installed Here 🚦✨

Back in 1914, some guy looked at Cleveland’s roads and thought, “You know what would be great? Some order around here.” And just like that, the first-ever electric traffic light was born at Euclid Avenue and East 105th Street. So if you’ve ever been stuck at a red light for way too long, blame Cleveland.

10. We Made the First Car That Actually Had a Roof 🚗

You know how cars used to be just glorified buggies with engines?

Cleveland’s own Alexander Winton was the first to say, “Hey, what if we… didn’t let people get rained on while they drive?” And just like that, the first mass-produced car with a roof was created.

So, What Did We Learn?

Cleveland is responsible for a lot of weird, wonderful, and occasionally catastrophic moments in history. We’ve changed the world (cozy cars, rock and roll, traffic lights), and we’ve also, uh… set a body of water on fire.

But no matter what, we keep bouncing back—because if there’s one thing Cleveland does better than anything else, it’s owning our chaos and making history anyway.

Wouldn’t have it any other way.

See you in your inbox,

💞 Amy & The Clevelandish Crew

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