July 2, 1863: Col. Joshua Chamberlain (1828-1914) of Brunswick, while suffering from malaria and dysentery, successfully leads the 20th Maine Regiment in fending off a Confederate attack by Col. William Oates’ 15th Alabama Regiment at the extreme left of the Union Army’s line at Little Round Top, helping enable the Union forces to win the […]

July 1, 1950: The newly constructed Scarborough Downs racetrack opens for its first races. The facility includes a grandstand that can hold 6,500 spectators, stables for 1,000 horses and parking for 6,000 cars. The $1 million complex was carved from a patch of woods in 73 days. The track was built despite opposition from anti-gambling […]

June 30, 1818: As a result of successful negotiations with the British in 1817, the United States regains control of Eastport, which the British had occupied since seizing it – and the rest of eastern Maine – during the War of 1812. The Americans relinquish claims to islands east of Eastport that now are part […]

June 27, 1820: Maine’s first Legislature establishes the Medical School of Maine and puts it under the control of the trustees and overseers of Bowdoin College. Legislators supply $1,500 for initial expenses and authorize a $1,000 annual payment after that, although that ceases in 1834. The school opens in 1821 in Bowdoin’s Massachusetts Hall, then […]

June 25, 1789: Hancock and Washington counties, the fourth and fifth Maine counties, are set off from Lincoln County, temporarily making the map of Maine counties look like five north-to-south zebra stripes. Hancock County, located on the state’s east coast, is now the home of Acadia National Park and the Maine Maritime Academy. It also […]

June 24, 1794: The Massachusetts State Legislature charters Bowdoin College, which is named after the late Massachusetts Gov. James Bowdoin II, an amateur scientist and influential advocate of American independence. At the time of its founding, Bowdoin is the easternmost college in the United States. The Massachusetts state government and the governor’s son, James Bowdoin […]

June 23, 1862: The first issue of the Portland Daily Press appears. The four-page tabloid newspaper is published on Exchange Street. Subscriptions cost 50 cents a month or $5 per year. The Press later is merged with The Portland Herald in 1921 to form the Portland Press Herald. June 23, 2017: About 100 firefighters combat […]