 1608: Captain John Smith of Virginia visits the area
1609: Henry Hudson arrives, and the land is claimed by the Dutch
1643: Johan Printz establishes the first permanent European settlement
zzzSwedish origin: in the area
1655: The Dutch seize the Swedish settlements. They would later be
seized and controlled by the British in 1664
1682: William Penn arrives from England, and claims the Pennsylvania
and Delaware lands given him by King Charles II
1744: Benjamin Franklin establishes the American Philosophical Society
in Philadelphia, beginning his long-string of contributions to America
1754: The French and Indian War begins, and George Washington, at the
battle of Laurel Mountain, claims the first victory in that war.
1776: The Declaration of Independence is adopted in Philadelphia
1777-78: Severe winter responsible for many deaths in the Continental
Army, when George Washington's troops gathered at Valley Forge
1787: Pennsylvania becomes the second state to ratify the U.S.
Constitution
1790: At age 84, Benjamin Franklin dies in Philadelphia
1790-1800: Philadelphia is declared the capital of America
1792: The first labor union established by shoemakers in Philadelphia
1856: The first Republic National Convention convenes in Philadelphia
1859: America's first oil well is successfully drilled in Titusville
1863: The Union's Civil War victory at Gettysburg was both a turning
point in that war, and a most tragic event, as over 51,000 were killed and
wounded during the two-day battle. Later, President Abraham Lincoln would make
his famed Gettysburg Address here
1889: Over 2,000 people died in the Johnstown flood
1920: KDKA radio in Pittsburgh becomes the first full-time broadcaster
in the country
1940: The initial stages of the Pennsylvania Turnpike open, and
becomes the country's first multiple-lane highway
1972: Hurricane Agnes causes severe wind and water damage to the state
1979: A near disaster occurs at the Three Mile Island nuclear plant
near Harrisburg
1994: U.S. Representative Tom Ridge is elected governor
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