1. On August 4, 1817, the Erie Canal was officially opened, connecting the Hudson River to Lake Erie and improving transportation and commerce throughout the state of Pennsylvania and beyond.
2. The Pennsylvania Turnpike, the first long-distance limited-access highway in the United States, officially opened on August 4, 1940, making travel and transportation even easier for Pennsylvanians and visitors.
3. On August 4, 1790, the first U.S. Census was taken, which included Pennsylvania as one of the original 13 states. At the time, Pennsylvania had a total population of 434,373.
4. August 4, 1914 marked the start of World War I, which had a significant impact on Pennsylvania, particularly on its steel and coal industries that supplied resources for the war effort.
5. On August 4, 1863, during the Civil War, General George Meade and his Union Army clashed with General Robert E. Lee's Confederate Army in the Battle of Funkstown, just outside of Hagerstown, Maryland (which was part of the larger Gettysburg Campaign). Many soldiers from Pennsylvania fought in this battle and others during the war, with approximately 360,000 Pennsylvanians serving in the Union forces.