Maryland Trivia & Tidbits
Looking for Maryland trivia? Try our list Maryland little know facts, tidbits and trivia.
—Claire McCardell, born in Frederick in 1905, was a leading fashion designer in the 1940s and ’50s, and the originator of the “American Look.” Her signature styles included wrap-around sashes, monastic dresses and large pockets with topstitching.
first appeared: 5/4/2008
—American novelist Leon Uris, born in Baltimore in 1924, is perhaps best known for the runaway bestseller Exodus (1958), a fictional account of the early history of Israel. Much of Uris’ fiction is set in various periods of the 20th century.
first appeared: 3/9/2008
—Although the first Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) in the United States was formed in Boston in 1851 and housed in the Old South Church, the first actual YMCA building was constructed in 1859 in Baltimore. The cost of the structure was pegged at $7,000.
first appeared: 2/24/2008
—The first bishop of the Roman Catholic Church in the nation was John Carroll, who was named to the post in 1789. He was chosen to head the church’s first U.S. diocese, located in Baltimore.
first appeared: 2/10/2008
—After a distinguished U.S. Army record during the Mexican War, Oden Bowie turned his attention to politics, first elected to the House of Delegates and then the state Senate. He served as Maryland’s governor from 1869 to 1872.
first appeared: 1/27/2008
—After Dr. William Beanes of Upper Marlboro (pop. 648) was taken hostage by the British in 1814, Francis Scott Key went aboard the enemy’s flagship in Chesapeake Bay to secure Beanes’ release. It was from the British ship that both men watched the bombardment of Baltimore, which inspired Key to write “The Star Spangled Banner.”
first appeared: 1/13/2008
—In the 1990s, artist William Cochran and his team used advanced trompe l’oeil techniques to transform a concrete bridge in Frederick into an “eye-catching” attraction. The technique, which literally means “deceive the eye” in French, creates the illusion of an old stone bridge.
first appeared: 12/30/2007
—Norman Gilyard, a Baltimore native and World War II veteran, was known as a buffalo soldier, a term given to black soldiers during the Indian Wars in 1866 to honor their bravery and revived during World War II. After Gilyard’s death in 1996, his uniform shirt and other memorabilia were donated to the Maryland Historical Society.
first appeared: 12/2/2007
—Eastern Female High School and Western High School, both in Baltimore, were established in 1844 as the first publicly supported high schools for girls. The schools represented the first time girls in Baltimore were given the opportunity for education beyond grammar school.
first appeared: 11/18/2007
—William Faris (1728-1804), an Annapolis (pop. 35,838) gardener, clock maker and silversmith, may be most well-known for his daily diary depicting Annapolis life from 1792 to 1804.
first appeared: 11/4/2007
—The state’s first commercial electric car—or streetcar—line began operation in 1885 between Baltimore and the neighborhood of Hampden. The Baltimore Streetcar Museum pays tribute to the era of the streetcar.
first appeared: 10/21/2007
—In the latter half of the 19th century into the early 20th century, steamboat excursions on Chesapeake Bay were a popular way for Baltimore residents to escape the summer heat. The boats traveled to amusement parks and other shoreline attractions.
first appeared: 10/7/2007
—Wallis Simpson, who grew up in the Baltimore area, was the American divorcee for whom King Edward VIII abdicated the throne of Great Britain. Edward said in a 1936 radio broadcast, “I have found it impossible to carry the heavy burden of responsibility and to discharge my duties as king as I would wish to do without the help and support of the woman I love.” In 1937, the couple married in France, becoming the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.
first appeared: 9/30/2007
—The United Brethren in Christ was formed during a conference of ministers at the home of Peter Kemp in Frederick in 1800. The church claims to be the first religious denomination founded in the United States.
first appeared: 9/9/2007
—Work on the nation’s first war memorial, the Battle Monument in Baltimore, was begun in 1815 on the first anniversary of the Battle of Baltimore, which produced an American victory and served as the inspiration for our national anthem. The monument was completed a decade later.
first appeared: 8/26/2007
—Martin Gillet & Co., founded in Baltimore in 1811 and family-run for nearly 150 years, was originally a tea importer. In the 1870s, it became the first company to move beyond the sale of traditional 40-pound chests of tea and offer packaged tea in quarter-, half- and 1-pound boxes.
first appeared: 8/12/2007
—The Thomas Viaduct, one of the oldest multiple-arch stone bridges in the nation, spans the Patapsco River in a graceful four-degree arc.
The bridge was dedicated in 1835 and cost $142,236 to build. Today, it is a National Historic Landmark.
first appeared: 7/29/2007
—The first American-born person to be canonized as a Roman Catholic saint, Elizabeth Ann Seton established the Sisters of Charity of Saint Joseph’s in 1809 in Emmitsburg (pop. 2,290). Seton served as leader of the religious order until her death in 1821.
first appeared: 7/15/2007
—Considered one of Maryland’s earliest planned communities, Sudbrook Park, near Pikesville (pop. 29,123), was designed by Fredrick Law Olmsted Sr. in 1889. His design included curvilinear roads and open green spaces to be used as community gathering places.
first appeared: 7/1/2007
—On Feb. 7-8, 1904, an enormous fire raced through Baltimore, burning to the ground nearly all of the city’s downtown. More than 1,500 buildings were destroyed.
first appeared: 6/17/2007
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