1. Maine became the 23rd state in the United States on August 16, 1820. This was after a long period of debate and compromise between the pro-slavery South and anti-slavery North. Maine was admitted as a free state while Missouri was admitted as a slave state, thus maintaining the balance of power in Congress at the time.

2. The first known shipwreck in Maine's history occurred on August 16, 1635, when the Angel Gabriel ran aground on Pemaquid Point during a violent storm. The ship was carrying settlers, livestock, and supplies from Bristol, England, to the English colony at Pemaquid. Although most of the passengers and crew survived, the ship and its cargo were lost.

3. On August 16, 1977, Elvis Presley, the "King of Rock and Roll," died at his home, Graceland, in Memphis, Tennessee. Presley had a strong connection to Maine, where he owned a home in the town of Kennebunkport. He also frequently visited Portland, where he once gave an impromptu concert in 1957.

4. The Maine Youth Center, a juvenile detention facility in South Portland, was officially opened on August 16, 1960. The Center was designed as a more humane alternative to the state's harsh reform schools and provided education, vocational training, and counseling to youth offenders. However, the Center was plagued by allegations of abuse and neglect in the 1980s and 1990s and was eventually closed in 2002.

5. The world's largest lobster cooker was unveiled in Rockland, Maine, on August 16, 1987. The massive cooker, which weighed over 20,000 pounds, was able to cook up to 1,800 lobsters at a time and was used at the annual Rockland Lobster Festival. The festival attracts thousands of visitors each year and features a wide range of lobster dishes, crafts, and music.