1. On April 13, 1743, Thomas Jefferson was born in Shadwell, Virginia. Though he was not born in Massachusetts, Jefferson played a significant role in the state's history as the principal author of the Declaration of Independence, which declared the thirteen American colonies independent from Great Britain.

2. On April 13, 1775, the Massachusetts Provincial Congress authorized the formation of six companies of minutemen in response to the mounting tensions between the colonists and British authorities. These minutemen played a crucial role in the early days of the American Revolution.

3. On April 13, 1796, the Massachusetts Historical Society was founded in Boston. The society is dedicated to collecting, preserving, and disseminating knowledge about the history of Massachusetts and the United States.

4. On April 13, 1873, the first game of professional baseball was played in Boston between the Boston Red Stockings and the Philadelphia Athletics. The Red Stockings won the game by a score of 6-5.

5. On April 13, 1976, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled in Goodridge v. Department of Public Health that the state's ban on same-sex marriage violated the state constitution. This landmark decision stood as a major victory for the LGBTQ+ rights movement and helped to pave the way for the legalization of same-sex marriage in other states.