1. In 1825, the first section of the Schuylkill Canal was opened, connecting Philadelphia to the anthracite coal fields in the northern part of the state. This canal allowed for easier transportation of coal, which fueled the Industrial Revolution in the United States.

2. On August 25, 1945, the last American soldier killed in World War II, Private First Class Anthony J. Marchione, died in an ambush on the island of Shumshu, off the coast of Japan. The war officially ended on September 2, 1945.

3. Hersheypark, a popular amusement park located in Hershey, Pennsylvania, first opened its doors on August 25, 1907. The park originally began as a place for employees of the Hershey Chocolate Company to relax and have fun, and it has now evolved into a major attraction in the state.

4. On August 25, 1864, the Battle of Ream's Station took place during the American Civil War. Union troops under the command of General G.K. Warren were attacked by Confederate forces, resulting in a Union victory.

5. The Pennsylvania Turnpike, the nation's first long-distance, limited-access highway, officially opened on October 1, 1940. However, on August 25, 1942, a military airplane crashed into the highway near Carlisle, Pennsylvania, killing the pilot and two passengers. This remains one of the few fatal airplane crashes on a major interstate highway in the United States.