1. On February 1, 1887, one of Pennsylvania's most famous landmarks, the Punxsutawney Phil, made his first official appearance as a weather forecaster. Phil, a groundhog, is said to predict the arrival of spring based on whether or not he sees his shadow on this day, known as Groundhog Day.

2. Lancaster, Pennsylvania was the site of the first ever meeting of the Continental Congress on February 1, 1777. The Congress was the governing body of the thirteen American colonies during the Revolutionary War.

3. The first iron-making furnace in Pennsylvania was erected on February 1, 1716, in a town that would later become known as Coventryville. The furnace produced iron for use in tools, weapons, and other goods.

4. On February 1, 1896, the Pennsylvania State University established an agricultural experiment station in State College, Pennsylvania. Today, Penn State is known for its strong agricultural programs and research.

5. One of Pennsylvania's most notable journalists and writers, Ernie Pyle, was born on February 1, 1900, in Dana, Indiana. Pyle later worked for the Washington Daily News and then the Scripps-Howard newspaper chain. He is best known for his work covering World War II, during which he was embedded with American troops in Europe and Asia. Pyle was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for his war reporting in 1944, but he was tragically killed by enemy fire while on assignment in the Pacific in 1945.