1. In 1850, the first state-chartered railroad in Maryland, the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad, opened its first section of track between Baltimore and Washington, D.C.

2. In 1867, the Maryland General Assembly approved the formation of St. Mary's College of Maryland, the state's only public honors college and the first institution of higher education to be established in the state since 1784.

3. In 1933, the Maryland General Assembly approved the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act, which established the state's current system of regulating the sale and distribution of alcohol.

4. In 1956, the Maryland Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the plaintiffs in Brown v. Board of Education, a landmark civil rights case that challenged the policy of racial segregation in Maryland's public schools.

5. In 2007, the Baltimore Orioles officially opened their new ballpark, Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The stadium, which was designed to resemble the classic ballparks of the early 20th century, is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful and functional sports venues in the United States.