maryland lifemarylandersmd

2016 In Review: A Big Year for Marylanders!

Eva Niessner

2016 In Review: A Big Year for Marylanders!

What a year it's been for Maryland and its fair citizens! Turns out quite a few of our favorite Marylanders got the credit they deserved this year--so let's take a moment to give them a round of applause. 

Michael Phelps
Come on, did you really think we wouldn't kick this list off with our buddy Mike? Mr. Phelps has had quite the year, what with retiring at the top of his game, breaking a world record for most Olympic gold medals, you know, no biggie. If that wasn't enough, he also married his fiancee Nicole in June, a month after the birth of their adorable son Boomer. Who says you can't balance work life and family life? Congrats all around, Michael Phelps!

Photo via CBS Sports

Katie Ledecky

Let us not think that Michael Phelps is the only swimmer from Maryland who had an incredible year--the Free State sure produces some incredible swimmers, and Katie Ledecky is proof. As of 2016, the 19-year-old girl wonder has broken 13 world records, and also nabbed a spot on the Time 100 Most Influential People list (and the youngest person ever to do so--hey, Ledecky's used to breaking records by now, right?). 
Taraji P. Henson
The Empire star is a graduate of Oxon Hill High School in Oxon Hill--and she's been busy building an empire of her own! In 2016, she was named as one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time Magazine, released her autobiography, Around The Way Girl, and starred in Hidden Figures. Not too shabby!
Photo via People.com
Harriet Tubman
2016 was a year to show the Marylander, abolitionist, spy and all-around American hero Harriet Tubman some honor--in April, the US Treasury Department introduced a plan to get Tubman on the front of the $20 bill beginning in 2020. 

Hairspray Live!
Baltimore's own musical theater show got the NBC musical treatment this year, thanks to a star-studded cast performing in the live musical performance. The show's already won 8 Tony awards and gotten two movies, so this was naturally the next step. Good morning, Baltimore, indeed!
Who else in Maryland had a great year? Let us know in the comments!

Leave a reply

sort by date

Latest articles

WHITE ELEPHANT
6 Perfect Picks for the White Elephant Party

10/30/23

6 Perfect Picks for the White Elephan...

You know it, you love it -- it's the White Elephant party! If you've never participated in one, we'll explain the rules. Everyone at the party brings a wrapped gift,...

read more
HOLIDAY HACKS
10 Christmas Shopping and Decorating Hacks You'll Love

11/14/23

10 Christmas Shopping and Decorating ...

The holidays are a lot of fun...as long as the shopping, cooking, decorating, and gifting isn't getting too unmanageable. Well, we never like to see our fellow Marylanders stress out....

read more
THANKSGIVING
Give Thanks! 5 Maryland Things To Be Grateful For This Month

10/16/23

Give Thanks! 5 Maryland Things To Be ...

  There's a lot to be thankful for all over the world and all over the USA, but here in Maryland, we're awfully lucky. We've got a lot to reflect...

read more
REUSABLE BAG
Bag Ban? No Problem (Thanks To These Reusable Picks)

11/13/23

Bag Ban? No Problem (Thanks To These ...

If you're a Baltimore County resident, you've no doubt been rethinking your grocery store strategy for the last week and a half. Single-use plastic bags are gone from the shelves...

read more
THANKSGIVING
10 Hacks for a Perfect Thanksgiving

10/30/23

10 Hacks for a Perfect Thanksgiving

  Thanksgiving is a lot of fun, and most of us spend all year long thinking about the tasty treats that await. But it can also be stressful trying to...

read more
SOAP
6 Soaps To Make You (And Your Home) Smell Amazing

10/16/23

6 Soaps To Make You (And Your Home) S...

  There's something about this time of year that just smells so good. The kitchen's full of delicious things, and the smell of a fire in the fireplace is so...

read more
CANDY
7 Delicious Ways To Use Up Halloween Candy

10/03/23

7 Delicious Ways To Use Up Halloween ...

It might seem like the most obvious question in the world. What do you do with Halloween candy? Eat it, of course! But why just snack on your fun size...

read more
HOROSCOPE
Madame Maryland's Horoscope: October 2023

10/16/23

Madame Maryland's Horoscope: October ...

  Happy November, Marylanders! There's so much to be excited about and thankful for this month, but you may be wondering just what is in store. Well, Madame Maryland looked...

read more
CRYPTIDS
Meet Maryland's Strangest Legendary Creatures

10/23/23

Meet Maryland's Strangest Legendary C...

Now that Halloween is nearly here, it's time to tell some spine-tingling tales. And what could be better than a few yarns about the creatures that supposedly call Maryland home,...

read more