1. In 1781, the first documented counterfeiting case in the United States occurred in Pennsylvania. A man named Philip Vigol was arrested for counterfeiting Continental currency. He was eventually convicted and sentenced to death.

2. On September 4, 1833, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania passed a law to regulate the operation of steamboats on its rivers and canals. This law required all steamboats to be inspected and licensed, and it set standards for the construction and maintenance of steamboat boilers.

3. In 1862, during the Civil War, the Battle of Antietam took place in Maryland, just a few miles from Pennsylvania's border. It was the bloodiest single-day battle in American history, with over 23,000 casualties. Many Pennsylvanians fought in this battle on both sides.

4. On this day in 1888, George Westinghouse received a patent for his air brake system for trains. This system became widely used and greatly improved the safety of train travel. Westinghouse was born and raised in Pennsylvania and established a factory in Pittsburgh.

5. In 1951, the Pennsylvania Turnpike, the first long-distance limited-access highway in the United States, opened to cars. The turnpike connected Philadelphia to Pittsburgh and greatly improved transportation across the state. It became a model for other interstate highways in the country.