1. In 1820, Maine officially became a state. February 24 marks the anniversary of Maine's statehood, as it was on this day that President James Monroe signed the legislation into law.

2. In 1868, the Maine State Seminary, which later became Bates College, was established in Lewiston. The school was founded by abolitionists who wanted to provide an education to young people regardless of their race or gender.

3. In 1893, Maine's first electric streetcar line began operation in Portland. The city's streetcars were an important part of its public transportation system until they were replaced by buses in the 1930s.

4. In 1950, the USS Maine Memorial was dedicated in Augusta. The memorial honors the sailors who lost their lives when the USS Maine exploded and sank in Havana Harbor in 1898, an event that helped to spark the Spanish-American War.

5. In 2015, Maine became the first state to use ranked-choice voting in a statewide election. The system allows voters to rank the candidates in order of preference, and ensures that the winner receives a majority of votes. Critics of the system argue that it is too complicated and can be susceptible to manipulation, while supporters see it as a way to ensure fairer and more democratic elections.