1. On January 8, 1916, the first synchronized traffic signal in the United States was installed in Baltimore, Maryland. Known as the "Enoch Light Tower", it controlled traffic at the intersection of North Avenue and Howard Street.

2. On January 8, 1936, the Maryland State Board of Education voted to establish the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy in Baltimore. The school is now one of the top pharmacy schools in the country.

3. On January 8, 1977, the Baltimore Colts played their last game in Memorial Stadium, losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Championship Game. The team moved to Indianapolis the following year.

4. On January 8, 1990, Maryland Governor William Donald Schaefer announced that the state would build a new NFL stadium to keep the Baltimore Colts from leaving. The stadium, now known as M&T Bank Stadium, opened in 1998.

5. On January 8, 2013, Maryland became the eighth state to legalize same-sex marriage when Governor Martin O'Malley signed the bill into law. The law went into effect on January 1, 2013.