10 Times Maine Made National Headlines for the Most Unexpected Reasons

Sometimes Mainers find themselves garnering the attention of National news outlets for unusual and memorable reasons.

Life in Maine is Pretty Slow and People Who Live Here Like it That Way

Most of the time, Maine is a pretty quiet place to live. Unlike in more urban areas, like New York or California, life here is typically pretty slow. Much of the country's residents never pay any attention to our state, with some believing we might be part of Canada.

READ MORE: 9 Times Animals Have Taken Over the News in Maine

Oh, there are serious and sometimes tragic reasons why we land in the national headlines. The mass shootings in Lewiston are a recent example of a time when all eyes turned toward the Pine Tree State and people suddenly realized that Maine is not all lobster boats and trees.

Maine News Stories That Go National are Usually Tragic

It's always sad to me when a serious news story from Maine winds up on national media outlets, because that means it was something truly tragic that made reporters outside our state take notice.

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Sometimes, the Nation Notices When Mainers Do Extraordinary or Interesting Things

But then there are those situations where the subject matter is not quite as gloomy, like Mainers who rise above adversity to survive scary situations, or retailers who find new and controversial ways to promote their wares.

In a state where residents are often seen by 'city folks' as slow-talking hicks, there are the academic strides that make the nation, and even the world, sit up and take notice.

These are the stories we're focusing on today, the times when people going about their lives or their jobs caused people from away to look a little closer at the great state of Maine.

How many of these do you remember?