1. Second Continental Congress Votes for Independence: On July 2, 1776, the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia voted in favor of independence from Great Britain. Two Maryland delegates, Samuel Chase and Thomas Stone, were among those who signed the Declaration of Independence two days later on July 4.

2. Battle of Antietam: Maryland was the site of one of the deadliest battles of the Civil War on September 17, 1862. The Battle of Antietam saw Union and Confederate forces clash near Sharpsburg, with more than 23,000 casualties.

3. Thurgood Marshall: On July 2, 1967, Thurgood Marshall was sworn in as the first African American justice on the U.S. Supreme Court. Marshall was born and raised in Baltimore and went on to argue landmark civil rights cases before the court, including Brown v. Board of Education.

4. Chesapeake & Ohio Canal: Construction began on the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal on July 4, 1828, in Georgetown, D.C. The canal would eventually stretch 184.5 miles to Cumberland, Maryland, and was used to transport coal, lumber and other goods.

5. Fort McHenry: During the War of 1812, Fort McHenry in Baltimore Harbor successfully repelled a British attack on September 13-14, 1814. The Battle of Baltimore inspired Francis Scott Key to write "The Star-Spangled Banner," which would later become the U.S. national anthem.