History of Pennsylvania in Timeline

Pennsylvania is a U.S. state located in the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions. It is bordered by several states and the Canadian province of Ontario. Philadelphia is its most populous city, while Harrisburg is the capital. It is the fifth-most populous state with over 13 million residents. The largest metropolitan area is the Delaware Valley, including Philadelphia, and the second-largest is Greater Pittsburgh.

1901: Second Architectural Contest

In 1901, political and popular indignation prompted a second contest that was restricted to Pennsylvania architects.

1902: Coal Strike

In 1902, Pennsylvania was the location of the Coal Strike.

1903: Hershey Chocolate Factory Construction

In 1903, Milton S. Hershey began construction on a chocolate factory in Hershey, Pennsylvania.

1904: Pitt undefeated season

In 1904, Pitt had an undefeated season in college football.

1907: Dedication of the Pennsylvania State Capitol

In 1907, the Pennsylvania State Capitol was finished and dedicated; Joseph Miller Huston of Philadelphia designed the present Pennsylvania State Capitol that incorporated Cobb's building into a magnificent public work.

1908: Penn national championship

In 1908, Penn won a national championship in college football.

1910: Pitt undefeated season

In 1910, Pitt had an undefeated season in college football.

1911: The Weeks Act

In 1911, the Weeks act allowed President Calvin Coolidge to establish the Allegheny National Forest in 1923.

1912: Penn State undefeated season

In 1912, Penn State had an undefeated season in college football.

1915: Pitt national championship

In 1915, Pitt won a national championship in college football, and also had an undefeated season.

1916: Pitt national championship

In 1916, Pitt won a national championship in college football, and also had an undefeated season.

1917: Pitt undefeated season

In 1917, Pitt had an undefeated season in college football.

May 31, 1918: Signing of the Pittsburgh Agreement

On May 31, 1918, the Pittsburgh Agreement was signed in Pittsburgh by Tomáš Masaryk and established Czechoslovakia as an independent nation.

1918: Peak coal production in 1918

Coal production in Pennsylvania peaked in 1918.

1918: Pitt national championship

In 1918, Pitt won a national championship in college football.

1920: Penn National Title

In 1920, Penn won a national title in college basketball.

1920: Pitt undefeated season

In 1920, Pitt had an undefeated season in college football.

1921: Utz Brands starts making chips

In 1921 Utz Brands started making potato chips in Hanover, Pennsylvania, and Wise Foods started making chips in Berwick the same year.

1921: Penn National Title

In 1921, Penn won a national title in college basketball.

1921: Washington & Jefferson national championship

In 1921, Washington & Jefferson won a national championship in college football.

1922: UMW General Coal Strike

In 1922, 310,000 Pennsylvania miners joined the UMW General coal strike, which lasted 163 days and shut down most of the state's coal mines.

1923: Establishment of Allegheny National Forest

In 1923, President Calvin Coolidge established the Allegheny National Forest under the authority of the Weeks Act of 1911.

1928: Pitt National Title

In 1928, Pitt won a national title in college basketball.

1929: Pitt national championship

In 1929, Pitt won a national championship in college football.

1930: Pitt National Title

In 1930, Pitt won a national title in college basketball.

1931: Pitt national championship

In 1931, Pitt won a national championship in college football.

1932: Franklin D. Roosevelt won the White House while losing Pennsylvania in 1932

In 1932, Franklin D. Roosevelt won the White House despite losing Pennsylvania.

1934: Pitt national championship

In 1934, Pitt won a national championship in college football.

1936: Pitt national championship

In 1936, Pitt won a national championship in college football.

1937: Pitt national championship

In 1937, Pitt won a national championship in college football, and also had an undefeated season.

1938: Temple National Title

In 1938, Temple won a national title in college basketball.

1947: Democratic senators

Prior to 2009, the last time Pennsylvania had two Democratic senators was in 1947.

1948: Harry S. Truman won the White House while losing Pennsylvania in 1948

In 1948, Harry S. Truman won the White House despite losing Pennsylvania.

1950: Pittsburgh lost its place among the top ten most populous cities

In 1950, Pittsburgh lost its place among the top ten most populous cities in the United States.

1954: La Salle National Title

In 1954, La Salle won a national title in college basketball.

1959: Little League World Series

Since 1959, the Little League World Series has been held annually in August in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

1968: Penn State undefeated season

In 1968, Penn State had an undefeated season in college football.

1968: Pennsylvania's fifth constitution in 1968

In 1968, Pennsylvania adopted its fifth constitution.

1968: Richard Nixon won the White House while losing Pennsylvania in 1968

In 1968, Richard Nixon won the White House despite losing Pennsylvania.

1969: Penn State undefeated season

In 1969, Penn State had an undefeated season in college football.

1973: Penn State undefeated season

In 1973, Penn State had an undefeated season in college football.

1975: McCandless Township adopts home-rule charter in 1975

In 1975, McCandless Township adopted a home-rule charter under the name of "Town of McCandless", but is, legally, still a first-class township.

1976: Pitt national championship

In 1976, Pitt won a national championship in college football, and also had an undefeated season.

March 28, 1979: Three Mile Island accident

On March 28, 1979, the Three Mile Island accident happened, it was the most significant nuclear accident in U.S. commercial nuclear power plant history.

1982: Penn State national championship

In 1982, Penn State claimed one of its two national championships in college football.

1985: Villanova National Title

In 1985, Villanova won a national title in college basketball.

1986: Penn State national championship

In 1986, Penn State claimed one of its two national championships in college football, also having an undefeated season that year.

1988: Winning Pennsylvania deemed as essential in 1988

By 1988, winning Pennsylvania had been deemed essential to U.S. presidential candidates.

1988: Act 169

In 1988, the Pennsylvania General Assembly passed Act 169, allowing parents or guardians to homeschool their children.

1990: Increased Investment in Public Libraries

After 1990, state and local governments increased resources for the public library system.

1992: Democratic trend in 1992

From 1992 onward, Pennsylvania trended Democratic in presidential elections.

1992: Democratic ticket presidential voting

In 1992, Pennsylvania voted for the Democratic ticket for president, starting a trend that continued through 2012.

1992: Philadelphia suburbs shift

Since 1992, the Philadelphia suburbs have shifted Democratic, moving away from their traditionally moderate Republicanism.

1993: Record for largest hunter shot black bear

Pennsylvania has a tied record for the largest hunter shot black bear in the Boone and Crockett record books at 733 lb (332 kg) and a skull of 23 3/16, tied with a bear shot in California in 1993.

1994: Penn State undefeated season

In 1994, Penn State had an undefeated season in college football.

2000: Puerto Rican population in Allentown

As of 2000, Stateside Puerto Ricans comprise over 40% of Allentown's population.

2000: Al Gore won Pennsylvania in 2000

In 2000, Al Gore won Pennsylvania by a slightly closer margin.

2000: Hispanic or Latino American population growth

In 2000, Pennsylvania saw the beginning of a significant increase in its Hispanic or Latino American population.

2000: Amish population in 2000

In 2000, the total Amish population in Pennsylvania was 47,860.

September 11, 2001: United Airlines Flight 93 Crash in Shanksville

On September 11, 2001, United Airlines Flight 93 crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, after passengers revolted against Al-Qaeda hijackers.

2001: X Games

In 2001, Philadelphia's Love Park hosted ESPN's X Games.

2002: X Games

In 2002, Philadelphia's Love Park hosted ESPN's X Games.

2004: John F. Kerry beat George W. Bush in Pennsylvania in 2004

In 2004, John F. Kerry defeated President George W. Bush in Pennsylvania with 2,938,095 votes (51%) to 2,793,847 votes (48%).

2004: Smarty Jones Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes wins

In 2004, Smarty Jones, whose home course was Harrah's Philadelphia in Chester, won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes.

2004: Casino gambling legalized in Pennsylvania in 2004

In 2004, casino gambling was legalized in Pennsylvania.

2004: Pennsylvania Film Production Tax Credit Established in 2004

In 2004, the Pennsylvania Film Production Tax Credit began, stimulating the development of a film industry in the state.

2005: High school graduates

As of 2005, 83.8% of Pennsylvania residents age 18 to 24 are high school graduates.

2007: Boone and Crockett-recorded record black bears

As of 2007, Pennsylvania has the second-highest number of Boone and Crockett-recorded record black bears at 183, behind Wisconsin's 299.

2007: Standardized testing ranks

In 2007, Pennsylvania ranked 14th in the nation in mathematics, 12th in reading, and 10th in writing for eighth grade students.

2008: Barack Obama defeated John McCain in Pennsylvania in 2008

In 2008, Barack Obama defeated John McCain in Pennsylvania, securing 3,276,363 votes (54%) to McCain's 2,655,885 votes (44%).

2008: Snack food capital

In 2008, Pennsylvania was described as the snack food capital of the world.

2008: Debt to William Penn

In 2008, adjusting for retail inflation, Charles II's debt to William Penn's father was equivalent to around £2,100,000.

2009: Bachelor's degree attainment

As of 2009, 27.5% of Pennsylvania high school graduates went on to obtain a bachelor's degree or higher.

2009: Democratic senators

In 2009, Pennsylvania was represented by two Democratic senators for the first time since 1947, after Republican Senator Arlen Specter switched party affiliation.

2009: Villanova national championship

In 2009, Villanova won a national championship in college football.

2010: Quaker adherents in 2010

As of 2010, practicing Quakers were a small minority of about 10,000 adherents in Pennsylvania.

2010: Casinos in 2010

As of 2010, there were 16 casinos in Pennsylvania.

2010: Pennsylvania elderly population in 2010

As of the 2010 census, Pennsylvania had a high proportion of elderly citizens (65+) at 15.4%.

2010: Ancestry groups

As of the 2010 census, the state's largest ancestry groups were German 28.5%, Irish 18.2%, Italian 12.8%, African Americans 9.6%, English 8.5%, Polish 7.2%, and French 4.2%.

2010: Languages spoken in Pennsylvania in 2010

In 2010, 90.2% of Pennsylvania residents age five and older spoke English at home as a primary language. 4.1% spoke Spanish, 0.9% spoke German, and 0.5% spoke Chinese.

2010: Religious affiliation in 2010

In 2010, Pennsylvania's population was 12,702,379, with 6,838,440 (53.8%) estimated to belong to some sort of organized religion. The largest religious bodies were the Catholic Church, United Methodist Church, and Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

2010: Republican Recapture

In 2010, Republicans regained a U.S. Senate seat, a majority of the state's congressional seats, and control of both chambers of the state legislature and the governorship in Pennsylvania.

2010: Hispanic and Latino Americans in Pennsylvania concentrated in specific areas

In 2010, approximately 85% of Hispanic and Latino Americans in Pennsylvania lived within a 150-mile radius of Philadelphia, with about 20% residing in the city itself.

2010: Presbyterian denominations in 2010

In 2010, the American Presbyterian Church had about 250,000 members and 1,011 congregations. The Presbyterian Church in America had 112 congregations and approximately 23,000 adherents; the EPC had around 50 congregations, including the ECO.

2010: Pennsylvania demographics in 2010

In 2010, the Hispanic or Latino American population in Pennsylvania grew by 82.6%.

2011: Tornadoes in Pennsylvania

In 2011, Pennsylvania experienced a high number of tornadoes, with 30 recorded in the state.

2011: Financial impact of agriculture in 2011

In 2011, the financial impact of agriculture in Pennsylvania included the employment of more than 66,800 people in the food manufacturing industry and over $1.7 billion in food product exports.

2011: Democratic senators representation

Pennsylvania continued to be represented by two Democratic senators until 2011, a situation that began in 2009.

2012: State and Local Tax Burden in 2012

As of 2012, Pennsylvania had the 15th-highest state and local tax burden in the nation, according to the Tax Foundation.

2012: Democratic presidential voting streak

Pennsylvania continued its streak of voting for the Democratic ticket for president in 2012, having done so in every election since 1992.

2014: Christian population in 2014

In 2014, 73% of the state's religious population were Christian, according to Pew Research Center. Also, 47% of all Pennsylvanians identified as Protestants, and 24% of all self-identified Christians in the state identified as Catholics.

2014: Democratic governorship win

In the 2014 election, Democrats won back the governorship in Pennsylvania, marking the first time an incumbent governor was defeated in a reelection bid since governors became eligible for reelection.

2016: Employment Statistics in 2016

As of 2016, there were 5,354,964 people in employment in Pennsylvania with 301,484 total employer establishments.

2016: Villanova National Title

In 2016, Villanova won a national title in college basketball.

2016: High school graduation rates

In 2016, graduation rates were recorded for students completing high school in Pennsylvania.

2016: Donald Trump won Pennsylvania in 2016

In the 2016 United States presidential election, Donald Trump won Pennsylvania with 2,970,733 (48%) votes to 2,926,441 (47%) votes.

2016: Pennsylvania's Democratic trend lasted until 2016

Until 2016, Pennsylvania trended Democratic in presidential elections.

2017: Poverty rate in 2017

In 2017, Pennsylvania's poverty rate was 12.5%.

October 2018: Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting

In October 2018, the Tree of Life - Or L'Simcha Congregation experienced the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting, resulting in 11 fatalities.

2018: Pennsylvania's economic leadership in 2018

As of 2018, Pennsylvania led the nation in several economic sectors including beer production, farmers' markets, food processing companies, hardwood lumber production, mushroom farms, natural gas production, potato chip manufacturing, and pretzel manufacturing.

2018: Top Countries of Origin for Immigrants

As of 2018, the top countries of origin for Pennsylvania's immigrants were India, the Dominican Republic, China, Mexico, and Vietnam.

2018: OurBus Service Expansion

In 2018, OurBus began offering service from West Chester, Malvern, King of Prussia, and Fort Washington to New York City.

2018: Inter-city rail passengers

In 2018, Philadelphia's 30th Street Station became Amtrak's third-busiest train station in the nation with more than four million inter-city rail passengers.

2018: Villanova National Title

In 2018, Villanova won a national title in college basketball.

2019: Net Migration to Pennsylvania

In 2019, net migration to Pennsylvania was 98,289.

2020: Native-Born Pennsylvanians

As of 2020, nearly three out of four Pennsylvania residents (74.5%) were native to the state.

2020: Lehigh Valley Metropolitan Area Ranking

As of 2020, the Lehigh Valley in eastern Pennsylvania is the nation's 69th-largest metropolitan area.

2020: Pennsylvania Population

As of the 2020 U.S. census, Pennsylvania had a population of 13,011,844.

2020: Native American Identification in 2020

In 2020, 31,052 people in Pennsylvania identified as Native American alone, and 158,112 did so in combination with other races.

2020: Pennsylvania voted for Joe Biden in 2020

In 2020, Pennsylvania voted for Joe Biden over Donald Trump, with Biden receiving 3,458,229 (50%) votes to Trump's 3,377,674 (49%).

2020: Philadelphia County Population in 2020

In 2020, Philadelphia County, which includes the city of Philadelphia, had a population of 1,603,797, making it the most populous county in Pennsylvania.

2020: Christian affiliation in 2020

In 2020, the Public Religion Research Institute estimated that 68% of Pennsylvania's population identified with Christianity.

2020: Population and Ranking in the U.S.

In 2020, the United States census recorded Pennsylvania's population at over 13 million residents, making it the fifth-most populous U.S. state.

2020: Voting Difficulties in 2020

In a 2020 study, Pennsylvania was ranked as the 19th-hardest state for citizens to vote.

2021: Foreign-born Population in Pennsylvania

As of 2021, 7.2% of Pennsylvania's population was foreign-born.

2021: Pennsylvania's Per Capita Income in 2021

In 2021, Pennsylvania's per capita income was $68,957, ranking 21st among the 50 states.

2022: Homeless Population

According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's 2022 Annual Homeless Assessment Report, there were an estimated 12,691 homeless people in Pennsylvania.

April 2023: Religious landscape in April 2023

In April 2023, a Franklin & Marshall College poll found that a plurality of Pennsylvania residents were religiously unaffiliated, with the remainder predominantly being Protestant or Catholic.

2023: U.S. House of Representatives Seats

As of 2023, Pennsylvania has 17 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.

2023: Pennsylvania's Economy Ranked 20th Worldwide in 2023

As of 2023, if Pennsylvania were an independent country, its economy would rank as the 20th-largest in the world.

January 2024: Pennsylvania's Gross State Product (GSP) in 2024

As of 2024, Pennsylvania's gross state product (GSP) is $1.017 trillion, the sixth-largest among all U.S. states.

January 2024: Pennsylvania unemployment rate in January 2024

As of January 2024, the state's unemployment rate is 3.4%.

July 13, 2024: Assassination attempt on Donald Trump

On July 13, 2024, near Butler, Pennsylvania, there was an assassination attempt on the 45th President of the United States Donald Trump.

2024: Abandoned mine inventory in 2024

As of 2024, Pennsylvania has the largest inventory of abandoned mines in the United States, creating environmental problems.

2024: Pennsylvania swung back to Trump in 2024

In 2024, Pennsylvania swung back to Donald Trump, with the former president winning 3,543,308 (50%) to Vice President Kamala Harris’s 3,423,042 (49%).