1. Maryland was founded on February 14, 1634.
On February 14, 1634, the first settlement in Maryland was established. Leonard Calvert, brother of Lord Baltimore, sailed up the Potomac River with several ships and landed at what is now St. Mary's City.

2. Maryland became a state on February 14, 1788.
On February 14, 1788, Maryland ratified the U.S. Constitution and became the seventh state to join the Union. Today, Maryland is known as "The Old Line State" in honor of its soldiers' valor during the Revolutionary War.

3. Frederick Douglass was born in Maryland on February 14, 1818.
Frederick Douglass, a prominent abolitionist and human rights activist, was born into slavery on February 14, 1818, in Talbot County, Maryland. He ultimately escaped from slavery and became one of the most influential speakers and writers of his time.

4. The first American combat aircraft was flown in Maryland on February 14, 1911.
On February 14, 1911, Glenn Curtiss flew a Curtiss Model D biplane in College Park, Maryland, becoming the first person to fly a combat aircraft in the United States. The College Park Airport continues to serve as the oldest continuously operating airport in the world.

5. A Valentine's Day massacre occurred in Baltimore on February 14, 1929.
On February 14, 1929, seven men were killed at a West Baltimore garage in what became known as the "Valentine's Day Massacre." The killings were part of a brutal gang war between two rival groups, and the incident helped to give rise to the modern FBI.