It may be one of America’s smaller states, but it sure doesn’t lack in fun facts! In addition to being the birthplace of famous Olympians and home to a rare breed of wild horses, there’s a lot more we bet you didn’t know about Maryland. In honor of Maryland Day, here are 10 things you may not know about the Old Line State:
- It’s the birthplace of several celebrities, including Michael Phelps, Sylvester Stallone, Edward Norton and Anna Faris.
- Maryland has the highest median household income of all 50 states, making it the wealthiest in the nation.
- On Assateague Island, Maryland, there is a population of rare wild horses. They’re a major tourist attraction, though feeding and petting them is highly discouraged.
- The Maryland Gazette, founded in 1727, is one of the oldest published newspapers in the country.
- The most popular attraction in Maryland? The eastern side of the Chesapeake Bay dubbed “The Eastern Shore.” Things to do there include the Maritime Museum, Frontier Town and Jolly Roger Amusement Park.
- Crab cakes are the order out east! Sales of this seafood specialty at lunchtime in Chesapeake Bay almost outnumber the total sales of hot dogs and hamburgers combined.
- HBO’s critically acclaimed show The Wire is based on life in Baltimore – one of the state’s major cities.
- Maryland has a lot of firsts! It was home to the first umbrella factory, dental school and railroad. Inventions that come from the state? The gas light and refrigerator.
- The Carrollton Viaduct (located over Gwynn Falls) in Baltimore is the oldest railroad bridge still in use. It is now also an Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.
- Both Babe Ruth and Edgar Allen Poe called Maryland home — you can actually even pay a visit to Poe’s grave at the Westminster Cemetery in Baltimore.
(Main image: cyanocorax)
