1. In 1781, the Pennsylvania legislature passed the Gradual Abolition Act, which provided for the gradual emancipation of slaves in the state. The law banned the importation of slaves into the state and required slave owners to register their slaves with the government. Slaves born after the law went into effect were to be freed at the age of 28.

2. In 1867, the first professional baseball team in Pennsylvania, the Philadelphia Athletics, was founded. The team played in the National Association until 1876, when they became a charter member of the National League. The A's went on to win nine American League pennants and five World Series championships before moving to Kansas City in 1955.

3. On November 7, 1893, the Pennsylvania State Capitol building was dedicated in Harrisburg. The building, designed by architect Joseph Huston in the Beaux-Arts style, took 30 years to complete and cost $13 million. The capitol features a 272-foot dome, a grand staircase, and numerous murals and sculptures.

4. In 1916, Pennsylvania native Jeannette Rankin became the first woman elected to the United States Congress. Rankin, a Republican from Montana, was a suffragist and pacifist who opposed both World War I and World War II. She served two non-consecutive terms in the House of Representatives, from 1917 to 1919 and from 1941 to 1943.

5. On November 7, 2000, Pennsylvania played a pivotal role in the presidential election between George W. Bush and Al Gore. The state's 23 electoral votes were initially declared for Gore, but after a recount, Bush was declared the winner by a margin of 0.5%. The outcome of the election was ultimately decided by the Supreme Court, which ruled in favor of Bush in the controversial case of Bush v. Gore.