Outstanding people

Famous Marylanders


There are a lot of famous people who was born in Maryland. Click on this link and you'll learn all of them.http://www2.thingstodo.com/states/MD/famous_people.htm#.UInEIBglR0Q


And I want to tell you about one of them here, in my post.

He is Michael Phelps. Michael Fred Phelps II (born June 30, 1985) is a retired American swimmer and the most decorated Olympian of all time, with a total of 22 medals. Phelps also holds the all-time records for Olympic gold medals (18, double the second highest record holders), Olympic gold medals in individual events (11), and Olympic medals in individual events for a male (13). In winning eight gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Games, Phelps took the record for the most first-place finishes at any single Olympic Games. Five of those victories were in individual events, tying the single Games record. In the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Phelps won four golds and two silver medals, making him the most successful athlete of the Games for the third Olympics in a row. Phelps is the long course world recordholder in the 100-meter butterfly, 200-meter butterfly and 400-meter individual medley as well as the former long course world recordholder in the 200-meter freestyle and 200-meter individual medley. He has won a total of 71 medals in major international long-course competition, 57 gold, 11 silver, and three bronze spanning the Olympics, the World, and the Pan Pacific Championships. Phelps's international titles and record-breaking performances have earned him the World Swimmer of the Year Award six times and American Swimmer of the Year Award eight times. His unprecedented Olympic success in 2008 earned Phelps Sports Illustrated magazine's Sportsman of the Year award.After the 2008 Summer Olympics, Phelps started the Michael Phelps Foundation, which focuses on growing the sport of swimming and promoting healthier lifestyles. He expects to do further work with his foundation after the 2012 Olympics, which he has said will be his last.

State Symbols 

• State Flag: Black and gold quarters (the arms of Lord Baltimore’s family, the Calverts) along with red and white quarters (the arms of his mother’s family, the Crosslands).
• State Song: “Maryland, My Maryland,” written by teacher James Ryder Randall after a Civil War riot in Baltimore.
• State Dessert: Smith Island Cake, made by the ladies of Smith Island for years, has achieved national recognition. With impossibly thin layers of cake and icing stacked high, Smith Island cakes are a unique treat. 
• State Dog: Chesapeake Bay Retriever, a hunting breed with webbed paws and a waterproof coat.
• State Cat: Calico, with colors resembling the Maryland flag.
• State Bird: Baltimore Oriole, with black and gold coloring.
• State Fish: Striped bass, also known as rockfish.
• State Crustacean: Maryland blue crab.
• State Boat: Skipjack, the last working boat under sail in North America, used for dredging oysters in the Chesapeake Bay.
• State Flower: Black-eyed Susan, with black and gold coloring and a blossom of 13 petals.
• State Tree: White Oak.
• State Sport: Jousting, which requires horseback riders to spear small, suspended rings. 
• State Folk Dance: Square dancing.
• State Drink: Milk.
• State Dinosaur: Astrodon johnstoni, “star tooth,” which lived between 95 and 130 million years ago.
• State Fossil Shell: Ecphora gardnerae gardnerae, an extinct Chesapeake Bay snail.
• State Insect: Baltimore Checkerspot Butterfly, with orange and white spots on a black base.
• State Reptile: Diamondback terrapin, also the University of Maryland College Park mascot.
  
  To know more about Maryland symbols click this link: http://www.visitmaryland.org/Students/Pages/StateSymbols.aspx

HISTORY

History of Maryland

One of the best ways to learn more about many aspects of Maryland history is to tour the historic sites found all around the state. The history of Maryland is revealed in beautiful architecture found in cities like Annapolis and Baltimore. As you're enjoying the many things to do in both cities it's inevitable that you'll notice at least some of these fine examples of Maryland colonial history. Near Frederick, In Fort Frederick State Park, the site of the prime frontier resistance during the Indian and French War in the 1700s. Restored close to their original state, the barracks and stone wall and historic displays offer a look back into this fascinating time period.

Near Hagerstown and Frederick, the Antietam National Battlefield site is another terrific place to learn more about the history of Maryland. At the battlefield, Maryland state history depicts the torrid battle between the Confederates and Union troops. This battle ended the initial invasion, by General Lee, into the north and is flagged by a visitors center, a number of monuments and battlefield exhibits. Another fine example of Maryland history can be seen in the well-maintained Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine in Baltimore near the Inner Harbor. Both the catalyst of inspiration for the country's famous national anthem, written by Francis Scott Key, and a survival point of an attack that saw almost 2,000 shells, rockets and bombs fired at the fort. The War of 1812 is depicted well and there are a number of exhibits that outline this part of Maryland state history perfectly.

Maryland colonial history marks an entrepreneurial spirit not seen before in the area. Dating back to the late 17th century, the first government in Maryland was formed. The very first group of settlers in Maryland colonial history include almost twenty men and their wives and more than two hundred other people. This was the very beginning of the history of the Maryland seen today, one of prosperity and wealth and many civil freedoms. Maryland colonial history is of particular interest to history buffs because Maryland was one fo the original thirteen colonies in the United States, a fact Marylanders are still proud of today.

In Maryland history, during colonial times, there was much religious conflict and strife. There was a large number of Puritans who enjoyed major support from the English puritans causing much anxiety during these days with Catholics. There was much conflict for some time to come between the two religious sects, including a civil war in the 1650s, but into the 19th century a large number of Catholic settlers balanced out the situation and ended many of the major issues in Maryland state history at that time.

Throughout Maryland state history there were many events that shaped the state into what it is today. German immigrants helped boost commerce in major industries, the famous war of 1812 and the 1814 attack by the British occurred on Fort McHenry, Maryland was invaded by general Lee's army in 1862 and warded off at the Antietam Battlefield. After the Civil War industrialization became a focal point and a dominant aspect of the state. Both World Wars saw a major insurgence of immigrants and the economy flourished. In Maryland history back in the 1980s there was major growth in suburban areas and major projects, like Oriole Park at Camden Yards were underway.

Today Chesapeake Bay is dotted with many beautiful Maryland beaches and Maryland fishing towns and is a hot spot for many holiday goers. Ocean City to the east is another vacation spot mobbed by crowds in the summer. Areas like St Michaels still have an obvious English influence left behind by early settlers. Whether you're traveling west or east, north or south, Maryland state history will be evident all around you. These days, residents and visitors enjoy all that was left behind by a long list of ambitious settlers who shaped Maryland into an emboldened and beautiful state.

"America In Miniature", "Old Line State", "Free State"

Maryland has been called "America in Miniature" because so much is packed into its 10,460 square miles of land and water. You can find just about any kind of natural feature here, except a desert. That's because water is almost everywhere in Maryland. The "America In Miniature" title also applies to the role Maryland has played in our nation's history, from the founding of the United States to the present. And like our country, Maryland is home to ethnic groups of every origin. Famous Marylanders include politicians, lawyers, painters, craftspeople, writers, health professionals and religious leaders. Maryland was home to the first railroad, the first dental school and the first umbrella factory. And Maryland inventors gave us the gas light, the linotype machine and the refrigerator.

Maryland is also called the "Old Line State" and "Free State."The Old Line nickname was given during the Revolutionary War, when 400 soldiers in the First Maryland Regiment fought a British force of 10,000 and helped General George Washington's army to escape. Washington depended on the Maryland Line throughout the war, and the soldiers' discipline and bravery earned Maryland its nickname.

The name "Free State" was given in 1919, when Congress passed a law prohibiting the sale and use of alcohol. Marylanders opposed prohibition because they believed it violated their state's rights. The "Free State" nickname also represents Maryland's long tradition of political freedom and religious tolerance.