1. On January 12, 1737, the first American theatre was opened in Maryland. The theatre was built in Annapolis and was named the Maryland Theatre. It featured several plays and musical performances, and was a popular attraction for residents and visitors alike.

2. In 1784, Maryland became the seventh state to ratify the Treaty of Paris, which officially ended the American Revolutionary War. The treaty was signed on September 3, 1783, but required ratification by all thirteen states to go into effect.

3. On January 12, 1865, the 4th Maryland Infantry Regiment saw action in the Battle of Hatcher's Run during the American Civil War. The battle took place in Virginia and was part of the larger Siege of Petersburg, which lasted for over nine months and was a key turning point in the war.

4. In 1912, the Baltimore News American newspaper reported on a series of anti-Semitic riots that had occurred in the city. The riots were sparked by tensions between Jewish and non-Jewish residents, and resulted in several injuries and arrests.

5. On January 12, 2011, the Maryland General Assembly voted to repeal the death penalty in the state. Maryland was the sixth state in the US to repeal the death penalty, and was the first state below the Mason-Dixon Line to do so. The repeal went into effect on October 1, 2013.