1. In 1776, Maryland adopted its first state constitution, becoming the seventh of the original thirteen colonies to do so. The constitution established a separation of powers and affirmed the rights of citizens.

2. On July 11, 1864, the Battle of Fort Stevens took place near Silver Spring, Maryland during the American Civil War. Confederate troops attempted to capture Washington D.C. but were repelled by Union forces, including President Abraham Lincoln, who famously came under fire during the battle.

3. In 1935, the first Social Security check was issued to a retired Baltimore man named Ernest Ackerman. President Franklin D. Roosevelt had signed the Social Security Act into law just the year before.

4. On July 11, 1962, the first Wal-Mart store opened in Rogers, Arkansas. The retail giant would go on to expand nationwide and become one of the largest employers in the world, including many locations in Maryland.

5. In 1989, the Baltimore Orioles hired Frank Robinson as the first African American manager in Major League Baseball history. Robinson went on to lead the Orioles to a successful season and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1982.