1. On December 17, 1903, the Wright brothers successfully made the first sustained flight of a powered, heavier-than-air machine at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. The event led to a revolution in aviation, including in Maine, where the first airplane flight took place just a few years later in 1910.

2. On December 17, 1773, a group of colonists in Boston, Massachusetts, dumped hundreds of crates of tea into the harbor in what became known as the Boston Tea Party. The event was a response to the British government's attempts to exert control over the colonies and led to political tensions throughout the region, including in Maine.

3. On December 17, 1871, the Maine State Capitol building in Augusta was destroyed by fire. Although the building was ultimately rebuilt, the event remains an important part of Maine history and serves as a reminder of the state's resilience in the face of adversity.

4. On December 17, 1967, the USS Pueblo, a U.S. Navy intelligence gathering ship, was captured by North Korean forces in international waters. The incident led to a diplomatic crisis between the United States and North Korea, and the crew of the Pueblo was held captive for almost a year before being released in December 1968.

5. On December 17, 2012, a shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, left 26 people dead, including 20 young children. The event sparked a national conversation about gun control and school safety, and remains one of the deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history. The shooting also had an impact in Maine, where lawmakers faced renewed pressure to take action on firearms legislation.