1. The Battle of Menotomy (now called Arlington) occurred on April 17, 1775, during the American Revolutionary War. British troops marched through the town and encountered American militiamen, resulting in a skirmish that left several dead on both sides.

2. On April 17, 1908, the Red Sox played their first game at Fenway Park in Boston. The team beat the New York Highlanders (now the Yankees) 1-0 in front of 27,000 fans.

3. John F. Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States, was born in Brookline, Massachusetts, on April 17, 1917. Kennedy served as president from 1961 until his assassination in 1963.

4. The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled on April 17, 2003 that same-sex couples had the right to marry in the state, making Massachusetts the first state in the US to legalize same-sex marriage.

5. The Boston Marathon is held annually on the third Monday in April, which often falls on April 17 or close to it. The marathon is the world's oldest annual marathon, first run in 1897, and attracts thousands of runners and spectators each year.