1. In 1779, the Battle of Minisink took place near the Delaware River in what is now Pennsylvania. The battle, which was part of the American Revolutionary War, was fought between American forces and a group of British loyalists and Native Americans. The loyalists and Native Americans emerged victorious, but suffered significant losses.

2. On August 19, 1812, the USS Constitution (also known as "Old Ironsides") engaged and defeated the HMS Guerriere in a naval battle off the coast of Nova Scotia. The victory was significant for the United States, as the Guerriere was one of the British Royal Navy's most formidable frigates.

3. Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross, was born in North Oxford, Massachusetts on August 19, 1821. Barton is best known for her efforts to provide assistance to soldiers during the American Civil War, and for her work building the American Red Cross into a national organization.

4. The Pennsylvania Railroad began operations on August 19, 1846. The railroad would eventually become one of the largest and most powerful corporations in the United States, and helped to drive the economic growth of the state and the country.

5. The Battle of Weldon Railroad was fought near Petersburg, Virginia on August 19, 1864, as part of the American Civil War. Union forces attempted to cut the vital Weldon Railroad, which supplied Confederate troops in Richmond and Petersburg. The battle was a Union victory, but did not achieve its strategic objective.