In today's Cleveland history...
Happy Burning River Day!
40 years ago today, the Cuyahoga River caught on fire.
Yeah, that's right.
People still make fun of it. I make fun of it. It's kinda hard not to.
The real funny thing is that it wasn't the first time it went up in flames, nor was it the last. Yes, our river was that polluted.
But on the upside, the event led to things like River Day (one of hundreds, I'm sure, but still), Earth Day, and the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency.
(It also led to Great Lakes' Brewery Burning River Pale Ale. Not a huge fan of pale ale, but others are.)
It's much cleaner now. It's not all the way there, but it hasn't caught on fire in decades, and people are actually starting to swim in it again.
Is it any wonder why we're the Hellmouth? :3