On This Day

First Groundhog Day observed at Gobbler's Knob, Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania

Groundhog Day (Pennsylvania German: Grund'sau dåk, Grundsaudaag, Grundsow Dawg, Murmeltiertag; Canadian French: Journée de la marmotte; Lunenburg, Nova Scotia: Daks Day) is a tradition observed...

Groundhog Day (Pennsylvania German: Grund'sau dåk, Grundsaudaag, Grundsow Dawg, Murmeltiertag; Canadian French: Journée de la marmotte; Lunenburg, Nova Scotia: Daks Day) is a tradition observed regionally in the United States and Canada on February 2 of every year. It derives from the Pennsylvania Dutch superstition that if a groundhog emerges from its burrow on this day and sees its shadow, it will retreat to its den and winter will go on for six more weeks; if it does not see its shadow, spring will arrive early.

Historical Significance

Groundhog Day (Pennsylvania German: Grund'sau dåk, Grundsaudaag, Grundsow Dawg, Murmeltiertag; Canadian French: Journée de la marmotte; Lunenburg, Nova Scotia: Daks Day) is a tradition observed regionally in the United States and Canada on February 2 of every year.

Events Before

  1. Karl Benz patents the "Benz Patent-Motorwagen" in Karlsruhe, Germany, the world's first automobile with an internal comb

    Karl Benz patents the "Benz Patent-Motorwagen" in Karlsruhe, Germany, the world's first automobile with an internal combustion engine [1]

  2. Inventor Thomas Edison (38) marries 2nd wife Mina Miller (20) in Akron, Ohio

    Inventor Thomas Edison (38) marries 2nd wife Mina Miller (20) in Akron, Ohio

  3. William Gladstone introduces the first Irish Home Rule Bill in the British House of Commons

    The Home Rule movement (Irish: Rialtas Dúchais) was a movement that campaigned for self-government (or "home rule") for Ireland within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.

  4. Painter Paul Cézanne (47) weds Marie-Hortense Fiquet (36)

    Painter Paul Cézanne (47) weds Marie-Hortense Fiquet (36)

  5. Nationwide demonstrations and strikes demanding an 8-hour workday begin in the US

    Socialism in the United States has encompassed various types of tendencies, including utopian socialists, anarchists, democratic socialists, social democrats, Marxist–Leninists, and Trotskyists.

Events After

  1. The National Geographic Society is founded in Washington, D.C., to promote "the increase and diffusion of geographic kno

    The National Geographic Society is founded in Washington, D.C., to promote "the increase and diffusion of geographic knowledge" [1]

  2. “Father of American Golf” John Reid first demonstrates golf on a Yonkers cow pasture to friends

    “Father of American Golf” John Reid first demonstrates golf on a Yonkers cow pasture to friends

  3. The Convention of Constantinople is signed, guaranteeing free maritime passage through the Suez Canal during war and pea

    The Convention of Constantinople is signed, guaranteeing free maritime passage through the Suez Canal during war and peace

  4. Industrialist Henry Ford (24) weds Clara Jane Bryant (22) in Greenfield Township, Michigan

    Industrialist Henry Ford (24) weds Clara Jane Bryant (22) in Greenfield Township, Michigan

  5. Crouching start first used in track and field by Charles Sherrill of Yale

    Crouching start first used in track and field by Charles Sherrill of Yale

More from the 1880s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on February 2, 1887?
Groundhog Day (Pennsylvania German: Grund'sau dåk, Grundsaudaag, Grundsow Dawg, Murmeltiertag; Canadian French: Journée de la marmotte; Lunenburg, Nova Scotia: Daks Day) is a tradition observed regionally in the United States and Canada on February 2 of every year. It derives from the Pennsylvania Dutch superstition that if a groundhog emerges from its burrow on this day and sees its shadow, it will retreat to its den and winter will go on for six more weeks; if it does not see its shadow, spring will arrive early.
Why is First Groundhog Day observed at Gobbler's Knob, Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania significant?
Groundhog Day (Pennsylvania German: Grund'sau dåk, Grundsaudaag, Grundsow Dawg, Murmeltiertag; Canadian French: Journée de la marmotte; Lunenburg, Nova Scotia: Daks Day) is a tradition observed regionally in the United States and Canada on February 2 of every year.

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