1. On this day in 1816, the Philadelphia & Columbia Railroad Company received a charter to build the first railroad line in Pennsylvania. This line eventually connected Philadelphia and Pittsburgh and became known as the Pennsylvania Railroad.
2. In 1971, the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission unveiled a historical marker in Doylestown to commemorate the landing of the first successful parachute jump in the United States. On August 10, 1797, Jean-Pierre Blanchard jumped from a hydrogen balloon over the town and landed safely using a parachute he had designed.
3. The Pennsylvania State Capitol building in Harrisburg was dedicated on August 10, 1906, after eight years of construction. The building features a distinctive dome that was designed to resemble St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.
4. The city of Scranton was incorporated on August 10, 1866. Originally a small village known as Slocum Hollow, the town grew rapidly during the 19th century due to the coal mining industry.
5. On August 10, 1933, the Uniontown Speedway in Fayette County hosted a race between two of the biggest names in American automobile racing: Bill Cummings and Ralph Hepburn. Cummings emerged victorious, driving a Studebaker Special at an average speed of 94.98 miles per hour.
5 Fun Facts About August 10 In Pennsylvania History
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