COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio is another year older with the celebration of its 219th birthday.

The Ohio History Connection planned a commemoration event Tuesday at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus, including the introduction of the state commission involved with the 250th birthday of the United States in 2026. Gov. Mike DeWine was also scheduled to give remarks.

The Statehouse also was providing viewings of the Ohio History Connection film “The Debate Over Statehood.”

Congress approved the Ohio's first constitution in early 1803 and President Thomas Jefferson signed it on Feb. 19. The newly elected General Assembly conducted business for the first time on March 1, 1803, at the then Statehouse in Chillicothe.

Arthur St. Clair, the first governor of the Northwest Territory, opposed statehood, while Thomas Worthington, the sixth governor of Ohio, was a strong proponent.