1. In 1864, Maine soldiers serving in the Civil War fought in the Battle of Boydton Plank Road in Virginia. The battle resulted in a Union victory, with Maine soldiers playing a significant role in forcing the Confederates to retreat.

2. In 1906, the Portland Symphony Orchestra held its first performance at the Portland City Hall. The Orchestra has since become a cherished cultural institution in the state of Maine, known for its annual holiday and pops concerts in addition to its regular classical repertoire.

3. In 1951, the first nuclear-powered submarine, the USS Nautilus, was launched from the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine. The submarine went on to make history by completing the first submerged voyage beneath the North Pole in 1958.

4. In 2000, Maine became the first state to offer voters the option of casting their ballots via absentee voting. This option has since become more popular, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

5. In 2020, the Supreme Court of the United States upheld Maine's ranked-choice voting system in a contentious case. The system, which allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference instead of selecting a single candidate, has been in use in Maine since 2018 and has been touted as a more democratic method of conducting elections.