1. On September 1, 1776, the American Revolutionary War took a dramatic turn when General George Washington faced off against British forces in the Battle of Long Island. The battle saw Washington's forces suffer a devastating defeat, shattering his hopes of defending New York City.

2. In 1830, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad officially opened its first passenger and freight station in Baltimore, making it the first commercial railway station in the United States. The railroad went on to revolutionize transportation in Maryland and beyond.

3. September 1, 1902, saw one of the deadliest disasters in American coal-mining history, when an explosion at the New York Mine in Frostburg, Maryland, killed 22 miners. The tragedy served as a grim reminder of the dangerous working conditions faced by coal miners in the early 20th century.

4. On this day in 1948, Maryland Governor William P. Lane Jr. officially opened the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, connecting the Eastern and Western shores of the state for the first time. The bridge quickly became a crucial transportation link, boosting tourism and business in the region.

5. Finally, on September 1, 2000, Maryland became the first state in the US to ban the sale of handheld cell phones while driving. The move was aimed at reducing distracted driving and improving road safety, and has since been followed by many other states across the country.