1. On March 19, 1853, the Ohio state legislature approved funding for the construction of the Ohio State Penitentiary, which later became known for being one of the most strict and brutal prisons in the country.
2. The first indoor ice hockey game in Ohio was played on March 19, 1966, at the old Cincinnati Gardens between the Cincinnati Mohawks and the St. Louis Braves.
3. On March 19, 1872, the first bridge over the Ohio River between Wheeling, West Virginia and Bellaire, Ohio was completed, opening up new transportation and commerce opportunities in the region.
4. In 1910, Ohio State University professor Joseph Sullivant discovered a rare species of fern in the Hocking Hills area of Ohio on March 19, which was later named the Hymenophyllaceae sullivantii in his honor.
5. The famous Ohio-born actor and comedian, Don Knotts, was born on March 19, 1924, in Morgantown, West Virginia. Knotts is best known for his roles in television shows like "The Andy Griffith Show" and "Three's Company", as well as films like "The Ghost and Mr. Chicken" and "The Incredible Mr. Limpet".