14 Moments Everyone Born In Maine Will Always Remember
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Michelle
Author
Nearly 200 years ago, Maine became a state. That’s nearly 200 years of wacky weather, strange behavior and interesting people. While being born in Maine can be memorable all on its own, there are some things that have happened here that you’ll probably never forget. The most memorable moments in Maine history just might be these:
This whopper of a storm knocked out power for over half of the state. Residents were without power for over two weeks in frigid January and the damage was estimated to cost hundreds of millions of dollars. The Maine National Guard was mobilized and it is still considered one of the worst natural disasters in the state's history.
The event, which took place in the summer of 1944 over South Portland, was the worst aviation accident in Maine history. The plane filled with passengers departed from Barksdale Field in Louisiana and was heading to South Portland for the pilot to visit his family. It's believed that bad weather led to the plane careening into a trailer park housing shipyard workers. 36 people were killed in the crash, which is memorialized by a granite marker in South Portland.
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Over the course of four days, Christian Charles Nielsen killed four people, dismembering three of them. The man was a cook at the local Sunday River Ski Resort when he went to a local inn and killed a male guest, the innkeeper, her daughter and her daughter's friend. The motives are unclear, and he's currently serving a life sentence.
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Drought conditions in July of 1947 caused a series of forest fires that burned more than 17,188 acres of land across York County and Mount Desert Island. Small fires in Portland, Bowdoin and Wells were reported to the Forest Service on October 7. The number of fires multiplied and by October 16, there were 20 separate fires burning in Maine.
In August 2016, locals found an 8-to-9-foot snakeskin near the Presumpscot River. It was believed to have come from an anaconda, which isn't native to Maine. While the snake became a bit of a celebrity, it didn't stick around. The winter probably led to its demise. RIP, kind friend.
Maine is used to snow, but this storm was special because nobody was ready for it. The system spread from New York to Canada, with Maine only anticipating a chance of snow. But, the storm left the heaviest snowfall amounts here. The Bangor areas saw more than 42 inches of snow and Lewiston received over 32 inches.
A popular vote brought about this important legalization. Maryland and Washington also voted in favor in 2012.
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And this wasn't just any hijacking. It was the longest lasting ever! In 1969, a plane from LA to San Francisco was hijacked and taken on a trip to Italy. Along the whopping 6,900-mile journey, he stopped for fuel in Denver, New York, Ireland and our very own Maine.
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Mainers were the last people in America to use this type of phone. It was last used in Bryant Pond The moment was honored by unveiling a 14-foot-tall candlestick phone, thought to be the tallest in the world.
Lovingly brought into existence in Bethel, the giant snowman – who was actually a snow-woman – was named "Olympia Snowe" after Maine's senior senator at the time. She had wreaths for eyes, eyelashes made of 16 skis, pine trees as arms and tires as buttons and lips.
Built in 1840 to help Maine's mentally ill, it had promise of being a savior for those in need But the hospital was plagued by stories of incompetence and death, eventually shutting its doors in 2004.
After a record snowfall season in 2007-2008, melting and heavy rain caused severe flooding. This flood was the worst of the Saint John River in 35 years. While many people might think of Canada in relation to this flood, it seriously damaged many areas in Northern Maine.
A local fitness instructor was sentenced to 10 months in jail when she and her business partner were found to have operated a prostitution ring. A list of clients was made public and spread across town, catapulting the small town into fame through headlines across the country.
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The time you left without buying it when you saw it at Marden's!
Looking for more ways to celebrate your Maine pride? Check out these 18 brutally honest statements about living in Maine.
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