1. In 1867, Augusta became the capital of Maine. Prior to this, Portland had served as the state capital.

2. On April 9, 1900, the USS Maine was floated out of drydock in Brooklyn, New York. The USS Maine gained national attention when it exploded and sank in Havana Harbor, Cuba on February 15, 1898, sparking the Spanish-American War.

3. The University of Maine was established on April 9, 1865, as the State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts.

4. On this day in 1965, the state of Maine became the first state in the U.S. to use the "zip" postal code system.

5. In 1976, Maine native Joan Benoit competed in her first Boston Marathon, finishing in 3 hours and 22 minutes, and paving the way for her historic win in 1979, when she became the first woman to win the Boston Marathon.