1. In 1776, Maryland delegates to the Continental Congress signed the Declaration of Independence, declaring the state's independence from British rule.

2. On May 4, 1826, the cornerstone of the Washington Monument in Baltimore was laid, though construction was suspended years later due to lack of funding. The monument was finally completed in 1829.

3. In 1864, Union forces under Ulysses S. Grant clashed with Confederate forces led by Robert E. Lee in the Battle of the Wilderness, a two-day struggle that saw heavy casualties on both sides. Many Maryland soldiers fought in both the Union and Confederate armies during the Civil War.

4. On May 4, 1916, the Maryland General Assembly voted to ratify the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which gave women the right to vote. Maryland was the 36th state to ratify the amendment, which was then adopted nationally.

5. In 1970, four students were killed and nine others injured when National Guard troops opened fire on demonstrators at Kent State University in Ohio. Among the fatalities was a Maryland resident, Jeffrey Glenn Miller, who had been peacefully protesting the Vietnam War. The incident sparked a nationwide wave of protests against the war and the use of force against protestors.