Maine is a state in the northeastern region of the United States with the abbreviation ME. Maine became the 23rd state on March 15, 1820, which makes the state 204 years old, as of March, 2024. One theory about where the name Maine came from is that early explorers gave the name to that region after the private estate of Henrietta Maria in the French province of Maine. Another theory is that fishermen of the islands along the coast referred to the region as the main or the mainland, which was spelled Maynland in some early documents. Interestingly, in a grant to Sir Fernando Gorges by Charles I in 1639, it was referred to as the province or county of Mayne.
Maine is the 39th largest state and the 42nd most populous; the capital of Maine is Augusta and its demonym is Mainer. Maine is bordered by the state of New Hampshire, the Canadian provinces of Quebec and New Brunswick, and the Atlantic Ocean.
The motto of the state of Maine is Dirigo, which is Latin for I Direct.
The official nickname of the state of Maine is The Pine Tree State. The pine tree is featured on the state’s flag, seal, and quarter; the white pine is Maine’s state tree and the white pine cone and tassel are even the state’s floral emblem.
The landscape of Maine is full of vast forests, wetlands, mountains, and coastal headlands.
Maine is known for lighthouses, skiing, shipbuilding, and Acadia National Park; the state is also known for being the most sparsely populated state east of the Mississippi River, for it rocky coasts, and for producing more lobster and wild blueberries than any other state. Maine also possess metals including Iron, lead, copper, zinc, silver, and manganese.
Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain was born on September 8, 1828, in Brewer, Maine. Chamberlain’s great-grandfather, Ebenezer, was a soldier from New Hampshire who fought in the French and Indian War and the the Revolutionary War, his grandfather, Joshua, was a ship builder and colonel during the War of 1812, and his father, Joshua, was a lieutenant colonel in the Aroostook War. Chamberlain taught himself Greek so he could be admitted to Bowdoin College in 1848; he graduated in 1852 and then entered the Bangor Theological Seminary for three years, while also studying Latin and German. Chamberlain eventually mastered French, Arabic, Hebrew, and Syriac. In 1861, Chamberlain was appointed professor of modern languages. At the outbreak of the Civil War, Chamberlain expressed his perspective on the war, stating that it would not end until men of the North were willing to “leave good positions, and sacrifice the dearest personal interests, to rescue our country from desolation, and defend the national existence against treachery.” Chamberlain was given a leave of absence, allegedly to study languages in Europe for two years, but he instead enlisted in the US army without notifying his family or Bowdoin College. In 1862, he was appointed lieutenant colonel of the 20th Maine Regiment. Chamberlain served in the Battle of Fredericksburg, the Battle of Gettysburg, the Battle of Cold Harbor, the Second Battle of Petersburg, and the Appomattox Campaign. He received the Medal of Honor for his gallantry during the unexpected bayonet charge that he led during the second day of the Battle of Gettysburg, which saved the Union flank from being overrun by Confederate forces. Chamberlain was severely wounded during the Second Battle of Petersburg, and he was given what was supposed to be a deathbed promotion to brigadier general, but chamberlain survived. He was given the honor of commanding the Union troops at the surrender ceremony for the infantry of Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s army at Appomattox Court House, Virginia. Once the war ended, Chamberlain served 4 one-year terms as the 32nd Governor of Maine, and then he returned to Bowdoin College and served as its president until 1883. Sadly, Chamberlain died in 1914 at the age of 85, due to complications from the wound from Petersburg.
In 1945, the first microwave oven was invented. Percy Spencer, a self taught engineer from Howland, Maine, noticed that microwaves from an active radar set he was working on melted a chocolate bar he had in his pocket; this discovery lead to his experimentation, during which he popped popcorn with microwaves and he even attempted to cook an egg, but it exploded. Soon after, Spencer patented the first microwave oven.
In June, 1775, the battle of Machias (not to be confused with the battle of Machias of 1777) occurred near Machias, Province of Massachusetts Bay, which is now in Washington County, Maine. Loyalist merchant Ichabod Jones was sent to supply British troops that were under siege in Boston; two of his merchant ships arrived in Machias accompanied by HMS Margaretta, which was commanded by James Moore. The citizens of Machias disapproved of Jones’ intentions and arrested him, and they attempted to arrest Moore, but Moore escaped through the harbor. The citizens seized one of Jones’ ships and caught up to Moore, fatally wounding Moore in the confrontation that transpired. The battle resulted in Patriot forces capturing the HMS Margaretta. This was the first naval battle of the Revolutionary War.
One interesting fact about Maine is that, despite the fact that the state is a northeastern state covered in mostly forests and wetlands, Maine does have a desert! Well, this desert isn’t actually classified as a desert because it receives plentyof moisture, much more snowfall and precipitation than the US average, however, it is bizarre to see sand dunes amidst coniferous forests in Maine.
One strange fact about Maine is that it is the closest state to Africa. When I first heard this fact, I thought that Florida certainly has to be much closer to Africa than Maine is, since it is much further south, however, Florida is also much further west than Maine. Oddly, it turns out that Maine is almost 1,000 miles closer to Africa than Florida is.
What fact about Maine most interests you?
Source: Origins of State Names
Source: Demonyms for US States
Source: 7 Things Invented in Maine
Source: Unique Trivia Facts about Maine
Source: 11 Incredible Facts about Maine
Credit to Enzwell on Wikipedia for making Flag of the State of Maine.svg. I have not altered this artwork other than overlaying it on my map. View license here.
Onward American 