1. On September 8, 1658, the Maryland General Assembly passed a landmark law granting voting rights to all free men regardless of their religious beliefs. This was a significant step toward religious toleration in the colony.

2. In 1787, on September 8, the Continental Congress voted to send the newly drafted U.S. Constitution to the states for ratification. Maryland was one of the first states to ratify the Constitution, which went into effect in 1789.

3. On September 8, 1814, during the War of 1812, British forces bombarded Fort McHenry, located in Baltimore harbor. The famous battle inspired Francis Scott Key to write the poem "The Star-Spangled Banner," which eventually became the national anthem of the United States.

4. In 1835, on September 8, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad inaugurated the first commercial railroad service in the United States. The railway connected Baltimore with Ellicott City, Maryland, and quickly became a major transportation hub for the state.

5. On September 8, 1952, the Baltimore Orioles, then a minor league baseball team, won the International League pennant. This victory paved the way for Baltimore to become a major league baseball city when the St. Louis Browns moved to Baltimore to become the Orioles in 1954.