1. On March 9, 1776, the Pennsylvania Assembly passed a resolution declaring that the colony was in favor of independence from Great Britain, becoming the first of the 13 colonies to officially support such a move.

2. March 9, 1841 marked the opening of the first public school for African Americans in Pennsylvania, the Lombard Street School in Philadelphia. It was established by Robert Purvis, an abolitionist and leader of Philadelphia's Underground Railroad.

3. In 1904, Pennsylvania Governor Samuel Pennypacker signed the Act of April 6, creating the Pennsylvania State Police – the first uniformed police organization of its kind in the United States.

4. On this day in 1964, Pennsylvania-born boxer Joe Frazier won the Olympic heavyweight gold medal in Tokyo, Japan. Frazier would go on to become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world in 1970, famously fighting against Muhammad Ali in the "Fight of the Century" in 1971.

5. March 9, 2007 marked the grand opening of the National Constitution Center's exhibit called "The Story of We the People," tracing the history of the United States Constitution and its impact on American democracy. The center, located in Philadelphia, is an interactive museum and resource center dedicated to learning about and promoting the U.S. Constitution and its ideals.