1. On February 19, 1861, a special election was held in Pennsylvania to fill the Senate seat left vacant by Simon Cameron, who had been chosen to serve in President Abraham Lincoln's cabinet. The winner of the election was abolitionist Republican David Wilmot, who had authored the Wilmot Proviso, a proposal to ban slavery in any territory acquired from Mexico.

2. In 1949, the Hershey Bears beat the Cleveland Barons 5-3 to win their third consecutive Calder Cup, the championship trophy of the American Hockey League. The Bears, who play in Hershey, Pennsylvania, have won a record 11 Calder Cups in their history.

3. On February 19, 1985, Pennsylvania Governor Dick Thornburgh signed a bill designating the white-tailed deer as the official state animal. The deer is a common sight throughout Pennsylvania, and is a popular game animal among hunters.

4. In 2013, Penn State University's Men's Basketball team upset the fourth-ranked Michigan Wolverines 84-78 in a Big Ten conference game played in State College, Pennsylvania. The victory marked the Nittany Lions' first win over a top-five-ranked team in 18 years.

5. On February 19, 1913, American author Carson McCullers was born in Columbus, Georgia. McCullers is best known for her novels The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter and The Member of the Wedding, both of which explore themes of isolation and alienation. She lived in Pennsylvania for a time, and maintained a close friendship with fellow writer Tennessee Williams.