1. On December 14, 1782, the Pennsylvania General Assembly passed the Gradual Abolition Act, which began the process of eventually ending slavery in the state. The act provided that all children born to enslaved mothers after that date would be considered free, although they would remain indentured to their master until age 28.

2. Philadelphia native and abolitionist Lucretia Mott was born on December 14, 1793. Mott played a key role in the women's suffrage movement and was one of the organizers of the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848, which is considered the first women's rights convention in the United States.

3. On December 14, 1918, Pittsburgh's Stanley Hotel caught fire and burned to the ground, killing at least 23 people. The hotel had been converted into a hospital to care for victims of the Spanish flu pandemic, and many of those who died were patients and staff.

4. Lancaster native and Civil War veteran General John F. Reynolds was born on December 14, 1820. Reynolds commanded the Union's left flank at the Battle of Gettysburg and was killed while leading his troops on the first day of the battle.

5. On December 14, 1990, Senator H. John Heinz III of Pennsylvania was killed in a plane crash in Lower Merion Township. Heinz, who was serving his third term in the Senate, was known for his work on environmental issues and was a strong advocate for the rights of individuals with disabilities.