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WASHINGTON ENDS VISIT TO MASSACHUSETTS
October 31. On this day in 1789, George Washington concluded a ten-day presidential visit to Massachusetts. Adoring crowds of grateful citizens greeted him everywhere....
1 2 11/19/2008 06:36
by dwight
GREAT FIRE DEVASTATES BOSTON
November 9. On this day in 1872, a monstrous fire nearly destroyed Boston's business district, ravaging the city from the Common to the waterfront. Beginning in a...
1 3 11/10/2008 06:28
by jrcreamer
FIRST STUDENTS ARRIVE AT MT. HOLYOKE SEMINARY
November 8. On this day in 1837, 80 students arrived at Mount Holyoke Female Seminary in the Connecticut Valley village of South Hadley. Many had traveled for days...
1 1 11/09/2008 11:06
by Hopalong
ISLAMIC SOCIETY BREAKS GROUND IN ROXBURY
November 7. ...in 2002, the Islamic Society of Boston held a ceremonial groundbreaking in Roxbury for New England's largest mosque and Islamic cultural center....
1 2 11/07/2008 16:44
by DaveF
BOSTON’S “HONEY FITZ” FITZGERALD ELECTED TO CONGRESS
November 6. On this day in 1895, a colorful Irishman from Boston's North End, nicknamed "Honey Fitz" for his charming and loquacious ways, was elected to...
1 1 11/06/2008 08:26
by Zinc
KING PHILIP’S WAR BREAKS OUT
June 24. On this day in 1675, Wampanoag warriors killed seven colonists in Swansea in retaliation for a series of injustices suffered at the hands of the English....
1 3 11/05/2008 12:59
by JCole
MAYOR CURLEY JEOPARDIZES ELECTION
November 3. On this day in 1929, James Michael Curley, heavily favored to win his third term as mayor of Boston, used a radio appearance to defame a school committee...
1 1 11/03/2008 06:28
by Zinc
BOSTON DENTIST DEMONSTRATES ETHER
October 16. On this day in 1846, a crowd gathered in the operating theater at Massachusetts General Hospital. A Boston printer with a tumor...
1 1 10/24/2008 17:09
by Zinc
FIRST MISSIONARIES LEAVE FOR HAWAII
October 23. On this day in 1819, a crowd gathered on a Boston wharf to bid farewell to the first Protestant missionaries bound for Hawaii. Among them were seven Massachusetts...
1 7 10/23/2008 10:41
by worldhistoryteacher
ROGER WILLIAMS BANISHED
October 9. On this day in 1635, Puritan minister Roger Williams was found guilty of spreading "newe & dangerous opinions" and banished from the Massachusetts...
1 3 10/09/2008 05:20
by loristokes
SAMUEL ADAMS DIES
October 2. On this day in 1803, the fiery patriot Samuel Adams died at the age of 81. A complete failure as a businessman, he was a brilliant political organizer,...
1 1 10/02/2008 01:45
by JNagarya
MASSACHUSETTS SOLDIERS THREATEN MUTINY
September 30. On this day in 1759, a regiment of Massachusetts men serving in the French and Indian War began to talk of mutiny against their British commander. The...
1 7 09/30/2008 15:37
by DaveF
TED WILLIAMS BATS FOR THE LAST TIME
September 28. On this day in 1960, Ted Williams thrilled the fans at Fenway by hitting a dramatic homer at his last at-bat in his 21-year career with the Boston Red...
1 1 09/28/2008 06:03
by Zinc
BOSTON GARDEN HOSTS FINAL GAME
September 26. On this day in 1995, the Bruins played the final game at the Boston Garden. For almost 70 years, the cavernous building served as the city's main sports...
1 1 09/27/2008 10:06
by Zinc
FIRST NEWSPAPER PUBLISHED IN THE COLONIES
September 25. On this day in 1690, Boston printer Benjamin Harris produced the first issue of Publick Occurrences, the first newspaper published in Britain's...
1 1 09/25/2008 05:33
by stevenc2
ROCKY MARCIANO WINS FIRST WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE
September 23. On this day in 1952, Rocky Marciano knocked out "Jersey Joe" Walcott in the 13th round to win the World Heavyweight Championship....
1 1 09/23/2008 09:37
by Zinc
BROOKLINE AMATEUR WINS U.S. OPEN
September 19. On this day in 1913, at The Country Club in Brookline, 20-year-old Francis Ouimet became the first amateur to win the U.S. Open Golf Tournament. Growing...
1 3 09/19/2008 15:52
by DaveF
BOSTON CELEBRATES 250TH BIRTHDAY
September 17. On this day in 1880 Boston celebrated its 250th birthday. For three and a half hours during the day, a column of 14,500 people marched four-and-a-half...
1 1 09/17/2008 07:50
by Huetwo
NATIVE AMERICAN WRITER BORN
January 31. On this day in 1798, a Pequot Indian named William Apess was born in Colrain, a village in western Massachusetts. Although his childhood was marked by...
1 8 09/10/2008 20:38
by Mark T1
MASSACHUSETTS AUDUBON SOCIETY MAKES FIRST LAND PURCHASE
September 9. On this day in 1922, the Massachusetts Audubon Society purchased its first parcel of land. For $8,000, it acquired 43 acres in the town of Sharon —...
1 1 09/09/2008 07:37
by ironia
JOHN GREENLEAF WHITTIER DIES
September 7. On this day in 1892, the poet John Greenleaf Whittier died at the age of 85. He had come a long way from his Quaker boyhood on a struggling farm in Haverhill....
2 2 09/08/2008 08:56
by Rebecca Z
BOSTON PUBLIC LIBRARY RECEIVES $1 MILLION DONATION
September 5. On this day in 1947, self-made millionaire John Deferrari donated over $1,000,000 to the Boston Public Library to express his gratitude to the institution...
1 1 09/05/2008 04:15
by schuldy
NATION’S FIRST SUBWAY OPENS IN BOSTON
September 1. On this day in 1897, at 6 am, over 100 people crowded onto the first train to travel through a tunnel under downtown Boston. More than 100,000 people...
1 2 09/01/2008 20:11
by rogersmith
BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY RECEIVES PHI BETA KAPPA CHARTER
August 30. On this day in 1961, Brandeis University received good news. Less than a decade after accepting its first students, the school had been given approval...
1 1 08/31/2008 11:39
by Joe Ross
WATERTOWN-BUILT CAR CLIMBS MT. WASHINGTON
August 31. On this day in 1899, Newton inventor F.O. Stanley took his wife Flora for a drive — into the record books. Leaving home in a steam-powered Locomobile,...
1 1 08/31/2008 05:15
by Zinc
FLU EPIDEMIC BEGINS IN BOSTON
August 27. On this day in 1918, two sailors housed at Boston's Commonwealth Pier reported to sickbay. The men were the first Americans stricken with a strain...
1 2 08/27/2008 11:16
by dwight
FANS CELEBRATE JOHN L. SULLIVAN
August 18. On this day in 1887, thousands of adoring hometown fans flocked to Nantasket Beach in Hull to glimpse Boston-born John L. Sullivan, the Heavyweight Champion...
1 1 08/18/2008 06:57
by Zinc
REVERE BEACH OPENS
July 12. On this day in 1896, 45,000 people gathered in Revere to celebrate the opening of the first public beach in the nation. In 1895 the newly-created Metropolitan...
1 3 08/14/2008 10:51
by holaka18
CENTRAL ARTERY PROJECT ANNOUNCED
August 8. On this day in 1954, the Boston Globe announced the opening of the first elevated expressway in the United States. Hailed as an engineering marvel...
1 1 08/08/2008 07:52
by Zinc
LIZZIE BORDEN’S FATHER AND STEPMOTHER MURDERED
August 4. On this day in 1892, a prosperous banker and his wife were hacked to death with a hatchet in their Fall River home. Suspicion immediately focused on the...
2 3 08/04/2008 13:33
by Zinc
PONZI SCHEME BEGINS TO UNRAVEL
July 24. On this day in 1920, the Boston Post ran a story that ultimately exposed one of the biggest financial swindles in history. In a series of articles...
1 1 07/24/2008 09:15
by Zinc
HENRY DAVID THOREAU SPENDS NIGHT IN JAIL
July 23. On this day in 1846, Henry David Thoreau left his cabin at Walden Pond for a brief walk into town and ended up in the Concord jail for refusing to pay...
2 4 07/24/2008 03:00
by dwight
CHRISTIAN SCIENTISTS DEDICATE MOTHER CHURCH
June 10. On this day in 1906, the recently enlarged Mother Church of Christian Science was dedicated in Boston. The original building seated only 1,000 people,...
1 2 07/09/2008 12:37
by Ken
OTIS HOUSE MOVED
June 27. On this day in 1925, workmen finished moving an historic Beacon Hill residence back from the brink of destruction. Cambridge Street was slated to be turned...
1 1 07/09/2008 11:15
by rhody
BROOKFIELD WOMAN PUT TO DEATH
July 2. On this day in 1778, an intelligent and high-spirited beauty from Brookfield became the first woman to be executed in the new American republic. The 32-year-old's...
1 6 07/08/2008 20:49
by John
ROCKPORT WOMEN SMASH LIQUOR BARRELS
July 8. On this day in 1856, 200 women, some of them wielding hatchets and ranging in age from 37 to 75, rampaged through the town of Rockport destroying every...
1 1 07/08/2008 16:17
by Coaster
LIZZIE BORDEN’S FATHER AND STEPMOTHER MURDERED
August 4. On this day in 1892, a prosperous banker and his wife were hacked to death with a hatchet in their Fall River home. Suspicion immediately focused on the...
1 4 07/08/2008 12:16
by Greentea2008
TRAINER DISCOVERS SEABISCUIT AT SUFFOLK DOWNS
June 29. On this day in 1936, Tom Smith, an experienced horse trainer, spied an unlikely looking three-year-old Thoroughbred on the track at East Boston's Suffolk...
1 1 06/30/2008 00:53
by Zinc
KING PHILIP’S WAR BREAKS OUT
June 24. On this day in 1675, Wampanoag warriors killed seven colonists in Swansea in retaliation for a series of injustices suffered at the hands of the English....
1 2 06/24/2008 04:09
by dwight
QUABBIN RESERVOIR FILLED TO THE BRIM
June 22. On this day in 1946, water flowed over the spillway and officials declared Quabbin Reservoir full. Construction took more than 20 years and required the...
1 1 06/22/2008 06:15
by Zinc
BOSTONIANS LAY CORNERSTONE FOR BUNKER HILL MONUMENT
June 17. On this day in 1825, at the laying of the cornerstone of the Bunker Hill Monument, Daniel Webster addressed a crowd of 100,000, including 190 veterans...
1 1 06/17/2008 07:24
by Zinc
WRITER EDITH WHARTON BUILDS IN LENOX
June 7. On this day in 1902, the writer Edith Wharton wrote to a friend about a visit to the site of her new home, The Mount, under construction in Lenox: "Lenox...
1 1 06/07/2008 08:25
by Judy
ELLEN SWALLOW MARRIES ROBERT RICHARDS
June 4. On this day in 1875, Ellen Swallow married M.I.T. Professor Robert Hallowell Richards. Three days later, they set off on a wedding trip to Nova Scotia...
1 1 06/04/2008 16:42
by DaveF
SUMNER ATTACKED IN U.S. SENATE
May 22. On this day in 1856, Preston Brooks, a congressman from South Carolina, viciously attacked Massachusetts Senator Charles Sumner on the floor of the United...
2 6 05/23/2008 00:45
by Zinc
FINAL EPISODE OF “CHEERS” AIRS
May 20. On this day in 1993, the sitcom "Cheers" aired its 275th and final episode. One of the most popular shows in television history,...
1 1 05/20/2008 05:31
by Zinc
EXPLORER GOSNOLD NAMES “CAPE COD”
May 15. On this day in 1602, the English explorer Bartholomew Gosnold dropped anchor off the Massachusetts coast. While he and four others went ashore, the rest...
1 1 05/15/2008 06:54
by dwight
JURY FINDS MARY PARSONS NOT GUILTY OF WITCHCRAFT
May 13. On this day in 1675, a Boston jury reached a verdict in the case of Mary Bliss Parsons of Northampton: they found her not guilty of witchcraft. In seventeenth-century...
3 7 05/13/2008 04:21
by Botolph
DEWEY PROPOSES LIBRARY CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM
May 8. On this day in 1873, Amherst College junior Melvil Dewey made a proposal to the faculty. He had been working in the college library and was frustrated...
1 3 05/09/2008 07:03
by Zinc
FOSTER FURCOLO, STATE’S FIRST ITALIAN AMERICAN GOVERNOR, BORN
July 29. On this day in 1911, Foster Furcolo was born in New Haven. Raised in Connecticut and educated at Yale, Furcolo moved to Springfield after World War II....
1 1 05/08/2008 03:28
by Zinc
WINTHROP BUYS PASSAGE FOR IRONWORKERS
May 5. On this day in 1643, John Winthrop, Jr. paid 50 pounds for the passage of skilled ironworkers from England to the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Initially,...
1 2 05/05/2008 06:38
by dwight
BOSTON JEWS PETITION FOR FIRST CEMETERY
April 29. On this day in 1844, members of Boston's first Jewish congregation petitioned city officials to set aside a corner of an East Boston cemetery for their...
1 1 05/04/2008 17:33
by elibort
CEREMONY HONORS EARLY INDIAN STUDENTS
May 3. On this day in 1997, over 300 people gathered in Harvard Yard to commemorate a long forgotten part of the college's history. A plaque was unveiled that...
1 2 05/03/2008 06:40
by dwight
FIRST CCC ENROLLEES ARRIVE AT FT. DEVENS
April 13. On this day in 1933, the first enrollees of the Massachusetts Civilian Conservation Corps arrived at Fort Devens in Ayer. They were soldiers in a peacetime...
1 4 05/01/2008 17:51
by Ellen
BATTLE BEGINS ON LEXINGTON COMMON
April 19. On this day in 1775, the first shots were fired in the cause of American independence. In Ralph Waldo Emerson's famous poem, "the shot heard 'round...
2 3 04/19/2008 14:56
by Coaster
G.E. ENGINEERS TEST JET ENGINE
April 18. On this day in 1942, after months of highly secret work, GE engineers in Lynn successfully tested the engine they called by the innocuous name "I-A."...
1 4 04/18/2008 19:11
by Zinc
TIP O’NEILL ANNOUNCES RUN FOR CONGRESS
April 16. On this day in 1952, " Thomas P. ("Tip") O'Neill of Cambridge announced that he would run for the Congressional seat being vacated by John...
2 3 04/18/2008 03:53
by Zinc
PERKINS SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND INCORPORATED
March 2. On this day in 1829, the New England Asylum for the Blind was incorporated in Boston. Begun with six students, within six years, the institution had ten...
2 7 04/10/2008 08:24
by kkn_blonde
BOSTON MINISTER TRIED FOR INCITING A RIOT
April 3. On this day in 1855, the case against Boston minister Theodore Parker came to trial. Charged with inciting an abolitionist riot, he defended himself by...
1 2 04/03/2008 09:10
by edmonia
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN INTRODUCES “SILENCE DOGOOD”
April 2. On this day in 1722, the Boston paper The Courant first published a letter from a widow with a keen wit and a gift for satire. Every few weeks,...
1 6 04/02/2008 11:31
by faybio
PROFESSOR’S MURDER TRIAL BEGINS
March 19. On this day in 1850, a sensational murder trial began in Boston. Both the victim and the accused belonged to the city's social elite. The case had been...
1 3 03/19/2008 15:47
by 8-N
BOSTON SWEARS IN FIRST IRISH-BORN MAYOR
January 5. On this day in 1885, Hugh O'Brien, the first Irish immigrant elected mayor of Boston, took the oath of office. A new era was beginning. For several...
1 2 03/15/2008 06:05
by ffc410
SOPHIA SMITH ENDOWS NEW WOMEN’S COLLEGE
March 8. On this day in 1870, a shy but determined woman from Hatfield willed that her fortune be used to establish a women's college in Northampton. The first...
1 1 03/08/2008 09:38
by dryadsgreen
BEDFORD RESPONDS TO “BOSTON PAMPHLET”
March 1. On this day in 1773, the town of Bedford held its annual meeting. Along with the routine matters to be addressed, there was one unusual item of business....
1 1 03/01/2008 06:19
by SLDoran
WILLIAM DAWES DIES
February 25. On this day in 1799, William Dawes died. The first man to be dispatched on the night of April 18, 1775, Dawes carried the same message as Paul Revere,...
1 1 02/25/2008 05:35
by Zinc
ANGELINA GRIMKE ADDRESSES LEGISLATURE
February 21. On this day in 1838 a woman addressed a legislative body for the first time in American history. An overflow crowd gathered at the State House in Boston...
1 1 02/21/2008 07:26
by Zinc
FIRST AMERICAN-MADE VALENTINES SOLD
February 14. On this day in 1849, the first American-made valentines were sold in Worcester. They were designed and made by Esther Howland, the daughter of a local...
1 1 02/19/2008 05:05
by dwight
ABIGAIL ADAMS KNOWS
February 2. On this day in 1775, Abigail Adams wrote sadly "the Die is Cast . . . The Sword is now our only yet dreadful alternative." The day before, news...
1 1 02/18/2008 08:55
by SLD1713
BLIZZARD PARALYZES MASSACHUSETTS
February 7. On this day in 1978, the storm of the century paralyzed the entire state of Massachusetts. The Blizzard of '78 dropped between two and four feet of snow...
1 3 02/12/2008 19:53
by FullOBlarney
NEWS OF PEACE TREATY REACHES BOSTON
February 12. On this day in 1815, news reached Boston that the War of 1812 was over. The U.S. had at first been a neutral party in a conflict between Britain and France....
1 1 02/12/2008 05:38
by dwight
“GERRYMANDER” BORN IN MASSACHUSETTS
February 11. On this day in 1812, a political monster — the "Gerrymander" — was born in the Massachusetts State House. Governor Elbridge Gerry signed a bill...
1 1 02/11/2008 16:06
by Zinc
ABIGAIL ADAMS KNOWS
February 2. On this day in 1775, Abigail Adams wrote sadly "the Die is Cast . . . The Sword is now our only yet dreadful alternative." The day before, news...
1 5 02/09/2008 11:16
by Zinc
BLIZZARD PARALYZES MASSACHUSETTS
February 7. On this day in 1978, the storm of the century paralyzed the entire state of Massachusetts. The Blizzard of '78 dropped between two and four feet of snow...
1 7 02/07/2008 07:10
by dwight
ABIGAIL ADAMS KNOWS
February 2. On this day in 1775, Abigail Adams wrote sadly "the Die is Cast . . . The Sword is now our only yet dreadful alternative." The day before, news...
1 2 02/02/2008 23:41
by Zinc
FOSTER FURCOLO, STATE’S FIRST ITALIAN AMERICAN GOVERNOR, BORN
July 29. On this day in 1911, Foster Furcolo was born in New Haven. Raised in Connecticut and educated at Yale, Furcolo moved to Springfield after World War II....
1 1 02/01/2008 18:32
by Zinc
HERMAN MELVILLE SAILS FROM NEW BEDFORD
January 3. On this day in 1841, Herman Melville boarded the whaleship Acushnet and sailed out of New Bedford, the whaling capital of the world. As he later...
1 6 01/27/2008 06:00
by PollyBoston
LOWELL WOMEN SIGN ON TO TEACH IN THE WEST
January 26. On this day in 1864, a visitor from Seattle held a meeting in Lowell. Asa Mercer explained to his largely female audience that there was a great scarcity...
1 1 01/26/2008 13:42
by AnnieB
HENRY KNOX BRINGS CANNON TO BOSTON
January 24. On this day in 1776, Colonel Henry Knox reached the headquarters of the Continental Army in Cambridge. The young Boston bookseller had pulled off a daring...
1 1 01/24/2008 04:24
by Zinc
INDIAN BOYS ARRIVE IN LONGMEADOW
January 23. On this day in 1800, Thomas Thorakwaneken Williams arrived in Longmeadow with his two young sons, Eleazer and John. Thomas was the grandson of Eunice...
1 4 01/23/2008 16:50
by digginout
ROBERT CORMIER BORN
January 17. On this day in 1925, author Robert Cormier was born into Leominster's tight-knit French-Canadian neighborhood, and he remained there for the rest of his...
2 2 01/23/2008 16:43
by Patty Campbell
GREAT MOLASSES FLOOD
January 15. On this day in 1919, people in Boston's North End were startled by a loud rumbling noise. They watched in horror as a five-story tank broke apart,...
2 3 01/15/2008 07:54
by Zinc
HORATIO ALGER BORN
January 13. On this day in 1834, Horatio Alger was born in Revere. The author of the rags-to-riches stories that captured the imagination of generations of American...
1 1 01/14/2008 08:27
by Grace Hoag
DUNKIN’ DONUTS FOUNDER DIES
September 20. On this day in 2002, Dorchester native William Rosenberg, who made a morning stop for coffee and donuts a national habit, died at the age of 86. In a...
1 1 01/14/2008 04:56
by Zinc
HORATIO ALGER BORN
January 13. On this day in 1834, Horatio Alger was born in Revere. The author of the rags-to-riches stories that captured the imagination of generations of American...
1 3 01/13/2008 04:35
by Grace Hoag
THE “SACRED” COD MOVES TO NEW STATE HOUSE
January 11. On this day in 1798, the Massachusetts legislature paraded solemnly from the Old State House to its quarters in a new building at the top of Beacon...
1 1 01/11/2008 02:44
by wwalczak
BOSTON SWEARS IN FIRST IRISH-BORN MAYOR
January 5. On this day in 1885, Hugh O'Brien, the first Irish immigrant elected mayor of Boston, took the oath of office. A new era was beginning. For several...
1 1 01/05/2008 04:00
by Zinc
HARRY “BUCKY” LEW BORN
January 4. On this day in 1884, Harry Haskell Lew was born in Lowell to a family that had long been active in the struggle for racial equality. Known from childhood...
2 3 01/04/2008 07:16
by Gerry M.
SITE FOR CAMBRIDGE SELECTED
December 28. On this day in 1630, the Massachusetts Bay Colony proprietors chose a site along the northern bank of the Charles River for their capital. They named...
1 1 12/28/2007 11:11
by RADUFFY
BOSTON ENDS DISCHARGE OF SEWER SLUDGE INTO HARBOR
December 24. On this day in 1991, the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority ended an age-old practice of dumping sewer sludge directly into Boston Harbor. Proponents...
1 1 12/28/2007 03:51
by Zinc
ABNER KNEELAND PRINTS BLASPHEMOUS LETTER
December 20. On this day in 1833, religious and social reformer Abner Kneeland printed a letter deemed so blasphemous by a Massachusetts court that it landed the former...
1 2 12/26/2007 10:32
by MassMoments staff
FALL RIVER CHURCH LOCKS OUT PRIEST
December 16. On this day in 1884, a Fall River newspaper reported that French Canadian Roman Catholic parishioners had locked their...
1 2 12/16/2007 05:18
by Polly Brown
ERASTUS BIGELOW DIES
December 6. On this day in 1879, Erastus Bigelow, the father of the modern carpet industry, died in Boston. Born in West Boylston, Bigelow and his brother followed...
1 1 12/06/2007 04:29
by dwight
WASHINGTON ENDS VISIT TO MASSACHUSETTS
October 31. On this day in 1789, George Washington concluded a ten-day presidential visit to Massachusetts. Adoring crowds of grateful citizens greeted him everywhere....
1 3 12/01/2007 16:10
by dwight
NATION’S FIRST SUBWAY OPENS IN BOSTON
September 1. On this day in 1897, at 6 am, over 100 people crowded onto the first train to travel through a tunnel under downtown Boston. More than 100,000 people...
1 2 11/24/2007 18:15
by Bonnie Granat
SCULPTOR EDMONIA LEWIS DISPLAYS WORK IN BOSTON
November 11. On this day in 1864, sculptor Edmonia Lewis exhibited two of her early pieces at the Colored Soldiers' Fair in Boston. The daughter of a Native American...
1 1 11/15/2007 14:55
by YPowell
MAYOR CURLEY JEOPARDIZES ELECTION
November 3. On this day in 1929, James Michael Curley, heavily favored to win his third term as mayor of Boston, used a radio appearance to defame a school committee...
1 1 11/10/2007 19:45
by Zinc
FIRST STUDENTS ARRIVE AT MT. HOLYOKE SEMINARY
November 8. On this day in 1837, 80 students arrived at Mount Holyoke Female Seminary in the Connecticut Valley village of South Hadley. Many had traveled for days...
1 1 11/08/2007 10:35
by Grace Hoag
MAYOR CURLEY JEOPARDIZES ELECTION
November 3. On this day in 1929, James Michael Curley, heavily favored to win his third term as mayor of Boston, used a radio appearance to defame a school committee...
1 1 11/03/2007 01:59
by Zinc
HERMAN MELVILLE SAILS FROM NEW BEDFORD
January 3. On this day in 1841, Herman Melville boarded the whaleship Acushnet and sailed out of New Bedford, the whaling capital of the world. As he later...
1 1 10/31/2007 16:58
by Zinc
FOSTER FURCOLO, STATE’S FIRST ITALIAN AMERICAN GOVERNOR, BORN
July 29. On this day in 1911, Foster Furcolo was born in New Haven. Raised in Connecticut and educated at Yale, Furcolo moved to Springfield after World War II....
1 1 10/31/2007 16:30
by Zinc
BOSTON’S “HONEY FITZ” FITZGERALD ELECTED TO CONGRESS
November 6. On this day in 1895, a colorful Irishman from Boston's North End, nicknamed "Honey Fitz" for his charming and loquacious ways, was elected to...
2 3 10/31/2007 16:22
by Zinc
WASHINGTON ENDS VISIT TO MASSACHUSETTS
October 31. On this day in 1789, George Washington concluded a ten-day presidential visit to Massachusetts. Adoring crowds of grateful citizens greeted him everywhere....
1 1 10/31/2007 16:00
by SLDoran
KU KLUX KLAN RALLIES IN WORCESTER
October 19. On this day in 1924, the largest gathering of the Ku Klux Klan ever held in New England took place at the Agricultural Fairgrounds in Worcester. Klansmen...
1 1 10/19/2007 15:11
by Grace Hoag
BOSTON DOCTORS USE FIRST IRON LUNG
October 12. On this day in 1928, Children's Hospital in Boston was the scene of the first use of an "iron lung." Developed by a young Harvard doctor, it...
3 3 10/12/2007 15:46
by DaveF
BOSTON GARDEN HOSTS FINAL GAME
September 26. On this day in 1995, the Bruins played the final game at the Boston Garden. For almost 70 years, the cavernous building served as the city's main sports...
1 1 10/08/2007 09:43
by irishgoober@comcast.net
WORCESTER AIRPORT OPENS
October 3. On this day in 1927, two runways and two hangars opened for business at the new Worcester Airport. A week later, more than 30,000...
1 1 10/03/2007 05:07
by Mal
FIRST MERRIAM-WEBSTER DICTIONARY PUBLISHED IN SPRINGFIELD
September 24. On this day in 1847, Charles and George Merriam of Springfield published the first edition of The American Dictionary of the English Language....
1 1 09/24/2007 19:48
by Joe Ross
JORDAN MARSH ANNOUNCES NEW STORE
March 27. On this day in 1947, Jordan, Marsh and Company announced that it was going to build "the greatest department store in the world" in downtown...
1 1 09/24/2007 11:41
by bphslp
HURRICANE DEVASTATES NEW ENGLAND
September 21. On this day in 1938, a hurricane of astonishing force ravaged New England. Having gone to bed the night before to radio forecasts of scattered rain and...
1 1 09/21/2007 04:11
by dwight
DRACUT PILOT DIES ON AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT #11
September 11. On this day in 2001, American Airlines pilot John Ogonowski made the familiar drive from his farm in Dracut to Logan airport. He was sorry he would miss...
1 2 09/11/2007 05:05
by maryf
REP. EDITH NOURSE ROGERS DIES
September 10. On this day in 1960, Representative Edith Nourse Rogers died of a heart attack in a Boston hospital, just three days before the end of her nineteenth...
1 1 09/10/2007 20:28
by Joe Ross
BOSTON WHEELMEN SPONSOR NATION’S FIRST 100-MILE BICYCLE RACE
September 6. On this day in 1882, seven men took over 12 hours to cover the distance from Worcester to Boston in the nation's first 100-mile bicycle race. Boston was...
1 2 09/06/2007 13:00
by pepkoka
KU KLUX KLAN RALLIES IN WORCESTER
October 19. On this day in 1924, the largest gathering of the Ku Klux Klan ever held in New England took place at the Agricultural Fairgrounds in Worcester. Klansmen...
1 2 08/31/2007 05:55
by maryf
AMES BROTHERS CELEBRATE “GOLDEN SPIKE”
May 10. On this day in 1869, officials of the Union Pacific Railroad drove the symbolic "Golden Spike" to mark the completion of the first transcontinental...
1 5 08/29/2007 14:06
by fred
QUINCY’S MARKET OPENS
August 26. On this day in 1826, Boston celebrated the grand opening of the Faneuil Hall, commonly known as Quincy Marketplace. Located on the site that had long...
1 2 08/26/2007 21:02
by yooper
HARVARD AWARDS BOWDITCH HONORARY DEGREE
August 25. On this day in 1802, Harvard College awarded Nathaniel Bowditch an honorary Master's Degree. The Salem-born astronomer, mathematician, and navigator was...
1 2 08/25/2007 02:48
by Xanadu
BOSTON DOCTORS APPEAL FOR MENTAL HOSPITAL
August 10. On this day in 1810, two Boston doctors circulated an appeal for "a hospital for the reception of lunatics and other sick persons." The time...
1 2 08/13/2007 15:11
by pepkoka
BROWNIES TAKE A WINTER SWIM
January 1. On this day in 1904, the L Street Brownies held their first New Year's Day swim in Boston Harbor. Every year since then, a crowd of swimmers and an even...
1 1 08/13/2007 08:59
by allatrop1
FREE LOVE SUPPORTERS PROTEST AT FANEUIL HALL
August 1. On this day in 1878, several thousand supporters of Ezra Heywood held an "Indignation Meeting" at Boston's Faneuil Hall. They were protesting...
1 2 08/02/2007 06:07
by dwight
WILLIAM PYNCHON BUYS LAND FOR SPRINGFIELD
July 15. On this day in 1636, William Pynchon received the deed giving him title to most of what is now Springfield, Longmeadow, and Agawam. In exchange, he paid...
1 7 07/18/2007 07:12
by Todd
JOHN WHEATLEY PURCHASES A SLAVE CHILD
July 11. On this day in 1761, John Wheatley, a successful merchant, purchased a frail little black girl off a slave ship in Boston. The Wheatleys named her Phillis,...
1 2 07/12/2007 15:59
by DaveF
ARLO GUTHRIE CONVICTED OF LITTERING
November 28. On this day in 1965, 20-year-old Arlo Guthrie was convicted of littering in the Berkshire County town of Stockbridge, and the song "Alice's Restaurant...
1 2 07/11/2007 06:06
by maryf
ANTI-WAR ACTIVISTS SENTENCED TO PRISON
July 10. On this day in 1968, four men were sentenced to federal prison for counseling young men to refuse military service. Dubbed the Boston Five, the defendants...
2 3 07/10/2007 23:42
by H
ROCKPORT WOMEN SMASH LIQUOR BARRELS
July 8. On this day in 1856, 200 women, some of them wielding hatchets and ranging in age from 37 to 75, rampaged through the town of Rockport destroying every...
1 4 07/09/2007 07:07
by Ed Jones
STRIKE ENDS IN HOPEDALE
July 5. On this day in 1913, a 13-week strike at the Draper Corporation in Hopedale ended in failure, and the workers returned to their jobs. This was a time...
1 3 07/05/2007 06:25
by dwight
LAST ELEVATED TRAIN RUNS IN BOSTON
June 25. On this day in 2004, Boston's last elevated train pulled into North Station. For over a century, Bostonians had avoided the congested streets below by...
1 1 06/26/2007 06:56
by NewWestEnder
MT. HOLYOKE CABLE CAR BURNED
February 17. On this day in 1965, Massachusetts officials burned what was left of the wooden tramway that had carried thousands of people to the summit of Mt. Holyoke....
1 2 06/25/2007 18:26
by Rosie47
JAMES OTIS, JR., ENRAGES COLONIAL GOVERNOR
June 21. On this day in 1768, James Otis, Jr. gave a characteristically fiery speech to his fellow legislators in Boston. He referred to the British House of Commons...
1 2 06/23/2007 19:37
by darbaby
GOVERNOR HONORS ACTIVIST MELNEA CASS
June 19. On this day in 1968, Governor John Volpe dedicated the Melnea Cass Swimming and Skating Rink in Roxbury. The new facility was intended to improve life...
1 1 06/19/2007 04:38
by YPowell
AMERICAN OPTICAL CELEBRATES 150TH ANNIVERSARY
June 18. On this day in 1983, Southbridge celebrated the 150th anniversary of the nation's oldest optical company — the American Optical Company,...
1 1 06/18/2007 06:07
by A.Richard Miller
FIREMEN AND IRISH CLASH IN BOSTON RIOT
June 11. On this day in 1837, an Irish funeral procession and a company of Yankee volunteer firefighters came face-to-face in the streets of Boston. Over the next...
1 1 06/11/2007 05:18
by YPowell
DEWEY PROPOSES LIBRARY CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM
May 8. On this day in 1873, Amherst College junior Melvil Dewey made a proposal to the faculty. He had been working in the college library and was frustrated...
1 2 06/10/2007 17:48
by teaperson
EXPLORER GOSNOLD NAMES “CAPE COD”
May 15. On this day in 1602, the English explorer Bartholomew Gosnold dropped anchor off the Massachusetts coast. While he and four others went ashore, the rest...
1 1 06/04/2007 08:42
by Znhoward
54TH MASSACHUSETTS REGIMENT MARCHES THROUGH BOSTON
May 28. On this day in 1863, the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, the first black regiment from the North, paraded in full dress uniform on...
1 1 05/28/2007 08:44
by doctorJ
SUMNER ATTACKED IN U.S. SENATE
May 22. On this day in 1856, Preston Brooks, a congressman from South Carolina, viciously attacked Massachusetts Senator Charles Sumner on the floor of the United...
1 2 05/22/2007 19:23
by dwight
GREAT MOLASSES FLOOD
January 15. On this day in 1919, people in Boston's North End were startled by a loud rumbling noise. They watched in horror as a five-story tank broke apart,...
1 3 05/15/2007 13:13
by eric cartman
THOUSANDS WALK ACROSS ZAKIM-BUNKER HILL BRIDGE
May 12. On this day in 2002, more than 200,000 people celebrated Mother's Day by walking across the Leonard P. Zakim-Bunker Hill Bridge, months before it was...
1 4 05/13/2007 04:34
by westhighlander
BERKSHIRE-HATHAWAY ANNOUNCES MILL CLOSING
May 7. On this day in 1958, the North Adams Transcript reported that the owners of the Berkshire-Hathaway Company had passed a death sentence on their...
2 5 05/08/2007 05:33
by dave9901
CEREMONY HONORS EARLY INDIAN STUDENTS
May 3. On this day in 1997, over 300 people gathered in Harvard Yard to commemorate a long forgotten part of the college's history. A plaque was unveiled that...
1 1 05/03/2007 08:15
by Marcia
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN INTRODUCES “SILENCE DOGOOD”
April 2. On this day in 1722, the Boston paper The Courant first published a letter from a widow with a keen wit and a gift for satire. Every few weeks,...
2 8 04/13/2007 15:50
by Anonymous
ABBIE HOFFMAN DIES
April 12. On this day in 1989, Worcester native Abbie Hoffman died from a drug overdose. A hero of the 1960s counter culture, Hoffman once told a reporter, "I never...
1 1 04/12/2007 06:19
by pemoody
FIRST STEAMBOAT PASSES THROUGH SOUTH HADLEY CANAL
December 1. On this day in 1826, the Barnet, the first steamboat to operate on the Connecticut River, passed through the South Hadley Canal on its way to...
1 2 04/10/2007 20:16
by captkarl06
WILLIAM DAWES DIES
February 25. On this day in 1799, William Dawes died. The first man to be dispatched on the night of April 18, 1775, Dawes carried the same message as Paul Revere,...
1 3 04/08/2007 20:09
by Anonymous
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN INTRODUCES “SILENCE DOGOOD”
April 2. On this day in 1722, the Boston paper The Courant first published a letter from a widow with a keen wit and a gift for satire. Every few weeks,...
1 4 04/08/2007 20:07
by Anonymous
FIRST ESPERANTO SOCIETY FORMED
February 16. On this day in 1905, the first Esperanto Society in the United States was established in Boston. Invented by a Polish doctor in the 1880s, Esperanto was...
1 1 03/27/2007 13:54
by Znhoward
KEROUAC WRITES FIRST NOVEL
March 23. On this day in 1948, Lowell native Jack Kerouac happily noted in his diary that he had written 2500 words. If he could keep up this pace, he would finish...
1 1 03/23/2007 06:41
by worldhistoryteacher
FLOOD DEVASTATES SPRINGFIELD
March 21. On this day in 1936, the worst flood in the state's recorded history inundated the city of Springfield. An unusually cold and snowy winter, followed by...
1 1 03/21/2007 03:26
by dll
FIRST SLAVES ARRIVE IN MASSACHUSETTS
February 26. On this day in 1638, a ship arrived in Salem after a seven-month voyage from the West Indies. Its cargo included cotton, tobacco and, as far as we know,...
1 2 03/01/2007 07:35
by EIC
FIRST CCC ENROLLEES ARRIVE AT FT. DEVENS
April 13. On this day in 1933, the first enrollees of the Massachusetts Civilian Conservation Corps arrived at Fort Devens in Ayer. They were soldiers in a peacetime...
1 1 02/17/2007 10:17
by agillman
SHADRACH MINKINS SEIZED
February 15. On this day in 1851, a group of outraged black men burst into a courtroom in Boston and rescued Shadrach Minkins, the first escaped slave seized in New...
1 1 02/16/2007 15:49
by YPowell
FIRST AMERICAN-MADE VALENTINES SOLD
February 14. On this day in 1849, the first American-made valentines were sold in Worcester. They were designed and made by Esther Howland, the daughter of a local...
1 2 02/15/2007 04:24
by maryf
SHOPPERS’ WORLD LAUNCHES MALL ERA
October 5. On this day in 1951, Shoppers' World in Framingham opened for business. The first suburban shopping mall in the Northeast, and only the second in the...
1 6 02/06/2007 12:36
by Jackarooty
NATIVE AMERICAN WRITER BORN
January 31. On this day in 1798, a Pequot Indian named William Apess was born in Colrain, a village in western Massachusetts. Although his childhood was marked by...
1 1 01/31/2007 14:09
by YPowell
FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN GRADUATE OF HARVARD BORN
January 30. On this day in 1844, Richard Greener, the first African-American graduate of Harvard, was born. His unusual education was made possible by several wealthy...
1 1 01/30/2007 03:53
by YPowell
HORATIO ALGER BORN
January 13. On this day in 1834, Horatio Alger was born in Revere. The author of the rags-to-riches stories that captured the imagination of generations of American...
1 3 01/13/2007 05:50
by A.Richard Miller
EMILY GREENE BALCH BORN
January 8. On this day in 1867, Emily Balch was born in Jamaica Plain. Her parents' affluence and enlightened views allowed her to attend college at a time when...
1 1 01/08/2007 02:17
by WDavidStephenson
ISAAC ASIMOV BORN
January 2. On this day in 1920, Isaac Asimov was born. He grew up in New York, but it was during his two decades in Boston that he made his name as a master of science...
1 1 01/02/2007 20:36
by Joe Ross
BOSTON MOVIE MOGUL RELEASES FIRST MOVIE
December 29. On this day in 1918, Louis B. Mayer traveled from his Boston office to New York City for the premiere of his first movie release, the silent film Virtuous...
1 2 12/29/2006 05:38
by Ranger007
HARVARD AWARDS BOWDITCH HONORARY DEGREE
August 25. On this day in 1802, Harvard College awarded Nathaniel Bowditch an honorary Master's Degree. The Salem-born astronomer, mathematician, and navigator was...
1 1 12/27/2006 11:55
by Son of Salem
ABNER KNEELAND PRINTS BLASPHEMOUS LETTER
December 20. On this day in 1833, religious and social reformer Abner Kneeland printed a letter deemed so blasphemous by a Massachusetts court that it landed the former...
1 1 12/20/2006 06:44
by Gray
WW II SENDS RECORD NUMBER OF BAY STATE WOMEN TO WORK
December 7. On this day in 1941, the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor launched the people of Massachusetts into World War II–and out of the Depression. The state's...
1 2 12/08/2006 04:52
by maryf
LONGFELLOW’S WIFE DIES
November 29. On this day in 1835, 28-year-old Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was devastated by the death of his beloved young wife, Mary. The couple had been traveling...
1 4 11/29/2006 04:09
by maryf
ARLO GUTHRIE CONVICTED OF LITTERING
November 28. On this day in 1965, 20-year-old Arlo Guthrie was convicted of littering in the Berkshire County town of Stockbridge, and the song "Alice's Restaurant...
1 3 11/28/2006 01:42
by StephenBaker
WORKERS COMPLETE HOOSAC TUNNEL
November 27. On this day in 1874, workers in the small western Massachusetts town of Florida finished the Hoosac Tunnel, bringing to completion one of the world's...
1 1 11/27/2006 10:36
by Deerfield Teachers' Center
DOUG FLUTIE THROWS “HAIL MARY” PASS
November 23. On this day in 1984, Doug Flutie threw a last-second "Hail Mary" touchdown pass to Gerard Phelan in the end zone, giving Boston College a 47-45...
1 2 11/27/2006 08:44
by Znhoward
ALICE FREEMAN AND GEORGE PALMER MARRY
December 23. On this day in 1887, Alice Freeman, charismatic president of Wellesley College, wed Harvard professor George Palmer, to the consternation of many Boston...
1 2 11/27/2006 08:32
by Znhoward
GREAT FIRE DEVASTATES BOSTON
November 9. On this day in 1872, a monstrous fire nearly destroyed Boston's business district, ravaging the city from the Common to the waterfront. Beginning in a...
1 1 11/10/2006 13:47
by joenambu
BOSTON’S “HONEY FITZ” FITZGERALD ELECTED TO CONGRESS
November 6. On this day in 1895, a colorful Irishman from Boston's North End, nicknamed "Honey Fitz" for his charming and loquacious ways, was elected to...
1 1 11/06/2006 21:20
by Joe Ross
WASHINGTON ENDS VISIT TO MASSACHUSETTS
October 31. On this day in 1789, George Washington concluded a ten-day presidential visit to Massachusetts. Adoring crowds of grateful citizens greeted him everywhere....
1 1 10/31/2006 22:42
by Joe Ross
RED SOX WIN WORLD SERIES
October 27. On this day in 2004, the Boston Red Sox ended an 86-year drought and buried the "Curse of the Bambino." They won the World Series! Their sweep...
1 1 10/27/2006 20:33
by Joe Ross
MARGARET MARSHALL APPOINTED TO SUPREME JUDICIAL COURT
October 14. On this day in 1999, Margaret Marshall became the first woman appointed Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. The oldest court in...
1 2 10/16/2006 04:26
by maryf
ROGER WILLIAMS BANISHED
October 9. On this day in 1635, Puritan minister Roger Williams was found guilty of spreading "newe & dangerous opinions" and banished from the Massachusetts...
1 2 10/10/2006 08:16
by maryf
NEW BEDFORD STRIKERS CAST VOTE
October 6. On this day in 1928, after a bitter six-month strike, the members of New Bedford's Textile Council voted to accept a compromise offer. Faced with overproduction...
1 1 10/06/2006 19:44
by Joe Ross
ARCHITECT H.H. RICHARDSON BORN
September 29. On this day in 1838, Henry Hobson Richardson, one of the true geniuses of American architecture, was born. A native of Louisiana, he received his architectural...
1 4 09/30/2006 05:21
by maryf
HURRICANE DEVASTATES NEW ENGLAND
September 21. On this day in 1938, a hurricane of astonishing force ravaged New England. Having gone to bed the night before to radio forecasts of scattered rain and...
1 1 09/21/2006 20:27
by JeannieBeane
MABEL TODD FIRST DESCRIBES EMILY DICKINSON
September 15. On this day in 1882, Mabel Loomis Todd first recorded her impressions of her mysterious Amherst neighbor. Emily Dickinson always wore white and had her...
1 1 09/15/2006 03:23
by winged foot
POLAROID WINS PATENT SUIT AGAINST KODAK
September 13. On this day in 1985, Polaroid won a huge victory in federal court. A judge ruled that Kodak had violated Polaroid's patents for instant photography. The...
1 3 09/14/2006 20:19
by Joe Ross
ROUTE 128 OPENS BOSTON’S HIGH TECH AGE
August 24. On this day in 1951, the first segment of Route 128 was opened. By 1956, the expressway stretched 65 miles from Gloucester to Braintree. While officials...
1 2 08/24/2006 07:52
by ophis
BOSTON POLICE VOTE TO UNIONIZE, PRECIPITATING RIOTS
August 15. On this day in 1919, Boston policemen seeking better wages and working conditions voted to form a union. The Commissioner of Police forbid them to unionize....
1 1 08/15/2006 19:45
by Joe Ross
WOMAN’S RIGHTS PIONEER LUCY STONE BORN
August 13. On this day in 1818, woman's rights pioneer Lucy Stone was born on a farm in West Brookfield. Her mother greeted the news that her sixth child was a girl...
1 1 08/13/2006 19:53
by Joe Ross
CENTRAL ARTERY PROJECT ANNOUNCED
August 8. On this day in 1954, the Boston Globe announced the opening of the first elevated expressway in the United States. Hailed as an engineering marvel...
1 1 08/08/2006 04:02
by ophis
CALVIN COOLIDGE SWORN IN AS PRESIDENT
August 3. On this day in 1923, upon the death of Warren G. Harding, Calvin Coolidge was sworn in as President of the United States. "Silent Cal" had been...
1 1 08/03/2006 09:05
by Fiona
BOSTON MASONS ORGANIZE FIRST GRAND LODGE IN AMERICA
July 30. On this day in 1733, 18 men gathered at the Bunch of Grapes Tavern on King Street in Boston and organized the first Masonic Lodge in North America. The...
1 6 08/03/2006 04:39
by maryf
BOSTON JEWS PETITION FOR FIRST CEMETERY
April 29. On this day in 1844, members of Boston's first Jewish congregation petitioned city officials to set aside a corner of an East Boston cemetery for their...
1 1 07/29/2006 22:09
by Joe Ross
GERMAN U-BOAT ATTACKS CAPE COD
July 21. On this day in 1918, people in the Cape Cod town of Orleans were astonished to see a German U-boat surface offshore and begin firing on an unarmed tugboat...
1 2 07/25/2006 04:50
by maryf
PONZI SCHEME BEGINS TO UNRAVEL
July 24. On this day in 1920, the Boston Post ran a story that ultimately exposed one of the biggest financial swindles in history. In a series of articles...
1 1 07/24/2006 02:53
by elibort
BERKSHIRE TOWN SENDS GIANT CHEESE BALL TO WASHINGTON
July 20. On this day in 1801, the Berkshire County town of Cheshire made a 1235-pound ball of cheese and shipped it to Washington, D.C. as a gift for the newly-elected...
1 1 07/20/2006 22:52
by Joe Ross
DR. HARRIOT K. HUNT VISITS THE SHAKERS
July 7. On this day in 1848, Dr. Harriot K. Hunt of Boston, one of the nation's first female physicians, made a visit to the Shaker community in Harvard. She...
1 2 07/11/2006 10:49
by EIC
ANTI-WAR ACTIVISTS SENTENCED TO PRISON
July 10. On this day in 1968, four men were sentenced to federal prison for counseling young men to refuse military service. Dubbed the Boston Five, the defendants...
1 1 07/10/2006 07:50
by Susannah
WEEPIN’ WILLIE ROBINSON BORN
July 6. On this day in 1926, "Boston's Elder Statesman of the Blues," Weepin' Willie Robinson, was born. Raised in the South, he launched his musical...
1 2 07/06/2006 20:09
by Joe Ross
MASSACHUSETTS APPROVES STATE CONSTITUTION
June 16. On this day in 1780, the Massachusetts constitution was declared ratified. The previous fall, the world's first constitutional convention had met in Cambridge....
1 3 07/05/2006 22:02
by Joe Ross
BOSTONIANS LAY CORNERSTONE FOR BUNKER HILL MONUMENT
June 17. On this day in 1825, at the laying of the cornerstone of the Bunker Hill Monument, Daniel Webster addressed a crowd of 100,000, including 190 veterans...
1 2 07/05/2006 20:32
by Joe Ross
KING PHILIP’S WAR BREAKS OUT
June 24. On this day in 1675, Wampanoag warriors killed seven colonists in Swansea in retaliation for a series of injustices suffered at the hands of the English....
1 3 07/05/2006 07:18
by Znhoward
GOVERNOR HONORS ACTIVIST MELNEA CASS
June 19. On this day in 1968, Governor John Volpe dedicated the Melnea Cass Swimming and Skating Rink in Roxbury. The new facility was intended to improve life...
1 1 06/20/2006 06:10
by YPowell
54TH MASSACHUSETTS REGIMENT MARCHES THROUGH BOSTON
May 28. On this day in 1863, the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, the first black regiment from the North, paraded in full dress uniform on...
2 2 06/18/2006 04:49
by michael
TORNADO DEVASTATES WORCESTER
June 9. On this day in 1953, Worcester County was devastated by the strongest tornado ever to hit New England. With winds close to 300 mph, the twister traveled...
1 1 06/09/2006 08:33
by kamsg@aol.com
CHILDREN’S CANCER RESEARCH FOUNDATION INCORPORATED
June 8. On this day in 1951 the Children's Cancer Research Foundation was incorporated. Founded by pioneering Boston physician Sidney Farber, it was the first...
1 1 06/08/2006 16:16
by DaveF
54TH MASSACHUSETTS REGIMENT MARCHES THROUGH BOSTON
May 28. On this day in 1863, the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, the first black regiment from the North, paraded in full dress uniform on...
1 1 05/28/2006 05:57
by Glory Be
TORNADO DEVASTATES WORCESTER
June 9. On this day in 1953, Worcester County was devastated by the strongest tornado ever to hit New England. With winds close to 300 mph, the twister traveled...
1 2 05/15/2006 08:40
by ww1acepilot@yahoo.com
AGRIPPA HULL ENLISTS
May 1. On this day in 1777, Agrippa Hull, a freeborn black man from the Berkshire County town of Stockbridge, signed on to serve in the Continental Army for...
1 1 05/01/2006 06:20
by bobneer
ROSIE RUIZ STEALS BOSTON MARATHON
April 21. On this day in 1980 Rosie Ruiz tried to steal the Boston Marathon. Crowned the woman's champion when she crossed the finish line, Ruiz looked surprisingly...
1 3 04/21/2006 07:50
by elibort
MASSACHUSETTS PASSES FIRST EDUCATION LAW
April 14. On this day in 1642, Massachusetts Bay Colony passed the first law in the New World requiring that children be taught to read and write. The English Puritans...
1 2 04/18/2006 10:46
by Znhoward
HARVARD STUDENTS OCCUPY UNIVERSITY HALL
April 9. On this day in 1969, Harvard students took over University Hall, one of the college's oldest buildings. Opposed to the escalating war in Vietnam, the...
1 2 04/18/2006 08:54
by Znhoward
PROFESSOR’S MURDER TRIAL BEGINS
March 19. On this day in 1850, a sensational murder trial began in Boston. Both the victim and the accused belonged to the city's social elite. The case had been...
1 1 03/19/2006 01:25
by PeterA1009
SOPHIA SMITH ENDOWS NEW WOMEN’S COLLEGE
March 8. On this day in 1870, a shy but determined woman from Hatfield willed that her fortune be used to establish a women's college in Northampton. The first...
1 3 03/09/2006 05:26
by Grace Hoag
BEDFORD RESPONDS TO “BOSTON PAMPHLET”
March 1. On this day in 1773, the town of Bedford held its annual meeting. Along with the routine matters to be addressed, there was one unusual item of business....
1 3 03/01/2006 07:11
by jasper
MALCOLM X IMPRISONED
February 27. On this day in 1946, 20-year-old Malcolm Little entered the state prison in Charlestown to begin serving a sentence for burglary. While in jail, he joined...
2 2 02/28/2006 06:09
by camcca
NATION’S FIRST COUNTRY CLUB ESTABLISHED
January 14. On this day in 1882, a group of men from the social elite of Boston formally established The Country Club of Brookline, the first such club in the...
1 2 02/10/2006 05:32
by rotorbinzo
ROBERT FROST DIES
January 29. On this day in 1963, Robert Frost died, the most popular and renowned American poet of the twentieth century. But his success was a long time in coming....
2 2 01/30/2006 07:58
by Will
SIXTH MASSACHUSETTS VOLUNTEER REGIMENT ORGANIZED
January 21. On this day in 1861, the Sixth Massachusetts Volunteer Militia was formally organized. With war approaching, men who worked in the textile cities of Lowell...
1 2 01/23/2006 13:55
by maryf
HORATIO ALGER BORN
January 13. On this day in 1834, Horatio Alger was born in Revere. The author of the rags-to-riches stories that captured the imagination of generations of American...
1 2 01/14/2006 12:06
by maryf
EMILY GREENE BALCH BORN
January 8. On this day in 1867, Emily Balch was born in Jamaica Plain. Her parents' affluence and enlightened views allowed her to attend college at a time when...
2 4 01/08/2006 11:43
by geneh
FANNIE FARMER COOKBOOK PUBLISHED
January 7. On this day in 1896, the first edition of the Boston Cooking-School Cookbook was published. Later known as the Fannie Farmer Cookbook,...
1 2 01/07/2006 07:31
by SusanG
CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION OUTLAWED
December 25. On this day in 1659, a law was passed by the General Court of Massachusetts Bay Colony requiring a five-shilling fine from anyone caught "observing...
1 1 12/25/2005 19:31
by ethomas1850
AEROSMITH OPENS LANSDOWNE STREET MUSIC HALL
December 19. On this day in 1994, Boston-based rock band Aerosmith opened the Mama Kin Music Hall....
1 1 12/23/2005 05:38
by Gonzaloc
FALL RIVER CHURCH LOCKS OUT PRIEST
December 16. On this day in 1884, a Fall River newspaper reported that French Canadian Roman Catholic parishioners had locked their...
1 2 12/18/2005 18:09
by psullivan
FIRST STEAMBOAT PASSES THROUGH SOUTH HADLEY CANAL
December 1. On this day in 1826, the Barnet, the first steamboat to operate on the Connecticut River, passed through the South Hadley Canal on its way to...
1 3 12/05/2005 05:21
by gongoozler
QUAKERS OUTLAWED IN PLYMOUTH
December 3. On this day in 1658, Plymouth Court ordered that any boat carrying Quakers to Sandwich be seized to prevent the religious heretics from landing. A...
1 2 12/04/2005 08:37
by maryf
ARLO GUTHRIE CONVICTED OF LITTERING
November 28. On this day in 1965, 20-year-old Arlo Guthrie was convicted of littering in the Berkshire County town of Stockbridge, and the song "Alice's Restaurant...
1 2 12/01/2005 05:22
by maryf
GREAT MOLASSES FLOOD
January 15. On this day in 1919, people in Boston's North End were startled by a loud rumbling noise. They watched in horror as a five-story tank broke apart,...
1