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Cleveland, Ohio

"The Forest City"

From Rockefeller's oil empire to the river that caught fire — Cleveland built and lost an industrial titan's fortune, then slowly reinvented itself around healthcare, culture, and a long-suffering love of sports.

Founded 1796 | Population 372,624 | Peak 914,808 (1950) | County Cuyahoga County

Top 10 Most Important Events for Cleveland, Ohio

1870Standard Oil Founded: John D. Rockefeller founded Standard Oil in Cleveland, building it into the most powerful monopoly in American history. At its peak, Standard Oil controlled 90% of U.S. oil refining.

1969Cuyahoga River Fire: The heavily polluted Cuyahoga River caught fire, making national news and becoming the symbol of American environmental degradation. The fire directly inspired the Clean Water Act and the creation of the EPA.

2016Cavaliers Win NBA Championship: LeBron James led Cleveland to the NBA title, overcoming a 3-1 series deficit against Golden State. The victory ended Cleveland's 52-year championship drought and united the city.

1995Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Opens: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame museum opened on Cleveland's lakefront, designed by I.M. Pei. Cleveland won the museum because DJ Alan Freed popularized the term 'rock and roll' there in the 1950s.

1796Cleveland Founded: Moses Cleaveland founded the city at the mouth of the Cuyahoga River on Lake Erie as part of the Connecticut Western Reserve. A newspaper later dropped the 'a' from the name to fit a headline.

1966Hough Riots: Six days of civil unrest in the predominantly Black Hough neighborhood left four dead and 30 injured. The riots exposed the racial and economic inequalities driving Cleveland's decline.

1978Cleveland Defaults on Debt: Cleveland became the first major American city since the Great Depression to default on its financial obligations, earning it the mocking nickname 'The Mistake on the Lake.'.

1914Cleveland Clinic Founded: Four doctors founded the Cleveland Clinic, which grew into one of the most respected medical institutions in the world, now employing over 70,000 people.

1908Cleveland Becomes Auto Hub: With dozens of automobile manufacturers, Cleveland briefly rivaled Detroit as America's car-making capital before the industry consolidated in Michigan.

1936Great Lakes Exposition: Cleveland hosted the Great Lakes Exposition on its lakefront, attracting 7 million visitors during the Great Depression and showcasing the city's cultural ambitions.

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Population Over Time

Complete Historical Timeline

1796 Government

Moses Cleaveland founds the city

1827 Transport

Ohio and Erie Canal reaches Cleveland

1870 Business

Rockefeller founds Standard Oil

1880 Industry

Steel and manufacturing boom

1908 Industry

Cleveland rivals Detroit in auto manufacturing

1914 Science

Cleveland Clinic founded

1936 Culture

Great Lakes Exposition draws 7 million

1950 Government

Population peaks at 914,000

1952 Culture

Alan Freed coins 'rock and roll'

1966 Civil Rights

Hough Riots

1969 Disaster

Cuyahoga River catches fire

1978 Government

Cleveland defaults on debt

1995 Culture

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame opens

2016 Sports

Cavaliers win NBA Championship

Did You Know?

The Cuyahoga River actually caught fire at least 13 times before the famous 1969 fire — it was the media coverage, not the fire itself, that finally triggered environmental action.

Cleveland's population dropped from 914,000 in 1950 to 372,000 in 2020 — losing nearly 60% of its residents — one of the most dramatic urban declines in American history.

The Cleveland Clinic performs more heart surgeries than any hospital in the world and has been ranked the #1 heart program in America for over 25 consecutive years.

Famous People from Cleveland, Ohio

Halle Berry

Actor, Television Producer · Born Aug 14, 1966 · Age 59

Hal Holbrook

Screenwriter, Actor · Born Feb 17, 1925 · Died Jan 23, 2021 (age 95)

Judith Butler

Writer, Psychologist · Born Feb 24, 1956 · Age 70

Donald Arthur Glaser

Physicist, Inventor · Born Sep 21, 1926 · Died Feb 28, 2013 (age 86)

Philip Johnson

Architect, Art Historian · Born Jul 8, 1906 · Died Jan 25, 2005 (age 98)

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