Here's How '1-4-3 Day' In Pennsylvania Will Honor Mister Rogers

An upcoming statewide holiday will honor the memory of television legend and Pennsylvania native Fred Rogers through acts of kindness and gratitude.

'1-4-3 Day' will be celebrated on May 23, the 143rd day of the year, in honor of Rogers, the star of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, who used 1-4-3 as a way of saying, "I love you," based on the number of letters in each word on his television program, WPXI reports.

Governor Tom Wolf announced the weekend of May 21-23 would be celebrated statewide in honor of Rogers this year in an official statement obtained by WPXI.

“I have designated the 143rd day of the year as ‘1-4-3 Day’ and encourage acts of kindness throughout the weekend in honor of Fred Rogers, who served as an inspiration to millions of Pennsylvanians and people around the world,” Wolf said. “Pennsylvania is a place where kindness and gratitude toward those who make up our community is part of who we are, and a weekend of kindness, after an especially difficult year, celebrates the spirit inherent in all Pennsylvanians.”

A "Kindness Generator," which can be accessed here, will provide inspiration for kind acts and a "Kindness Tracker" will help residents track good deeds and gestures.

Mister Rogers' Neighborhood initially aired on televisions across the United States on February 19, 1968.

Rogers, a native of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area, began his television career at NBC in New York City and first reached out to children in his home town on 'The Children's Corner' on WQED in 1954, working behind the scenes to develop numerous puppet personalities he'd become famous for alongside host Josie Carey.

The characters included several that would become staples of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood such as Daniel Striped Tiger, King Friday XIII, Lady Elaine Fairchide and X the Owl. Rogers also wrote music for 'The Children's Corner' during his time working on the show.

The Canadian Broadcasting Corp. initially contacted Rogers about creating and hosting a new 15-minute show called Misterogers in 1963, WPXI reports. The program was filmed in Toronto until Rogers moved back to Pittsburgh and brought with him many of the props and sets used for the show, which was eventually picked up by National Education Television, now known as PBS.

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