1. On November 19, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln delivered his famous Gettysburg Address during the dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery in Pennsylvania. Though not in Maryland, this historic speech had significant implications for the state, which had been deeply affected by the Civil War.

2. November 19, 1951, marked the opening of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, which spans 4.3 miles across the Chesapeake Bay and connects Maryland's Eastern Shore with the rest of the state. This engineering marvel has been a vital transportation link for nearly seven decades.

3. On November 19, 1976, a plane carrying the basketball team from the University of Maryland, College Park crashed near Huntington, West Virginia, killing all 75 people on board. The tragedy, known as the Marshall University plane crash, remains one of the worst disasters in U.S. sports history.

4. The Maryland Science Center, located in Baltimore's Inner Harbor, opened its doors on November 19, 1976. The center features interactive exhibits, live demonstrations, and a planetarium, making it a popular destination for families and school groups.

5. November 19, 1999, was declared "Lorraine Hansberry Day" in Maryland to honor the prominent playwright, activist, and author who was born in Chicago in 1930 but spent some of her formative years in Baltimore. Hansberry was the first African American woman to have a play produced on Broadway, and her work remains influential today.