1. In 1774, the Maryland Colony's governor, Sir Robert Eden, was forced to flee Annapolis to escape from an angry mob of patriots who were protesting the Coercive Acts.

2. On May 24, 1830, the first steamboat, the Chesapeake, arrived in Baltimore. The Chesapeake delivered passengers, mail, and goods from Norfolk, Virginia, and ushered in a new era of faster, more efficient transportation.

3. Thurmont, a small town in Frederick County, celebrates May 24 as "Fireman's Day" in honor of two important events in the town's fire department history. In 1901, the Thurmont Hose Company was founded on May 24, and in 1944, the Thurmont Fire Department was established.

4. The Preakness Stakes, the second race in the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred horse racing, is often held on the third Saturday in May, which can fall on or around May 24. The Preakness Stakes has been held at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore since its founding in 1873.

5. On May 24, 1882, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Company was incorporated in Maryland. The company proposed to build a bridge across the Chesapeake Bay, but the project would not be realized until more than 70 years later, with the construction of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge in 1952.