1. On April 2, 1792, the Massachusetts Legislature passed a law mandating that every town in the state have a school or provide money to send their students to a neighboring town’s school. This law marked a significant step towards public education in the state.

2. April 2, 1836, marked the day that Samuel Morse made his first successful telegraph transmission from Washington, D.C, to Baltimore, Maryland. Massachusetts native Morse had spent several years developing the telegraph system, which revolutionized communication in the United States and around the world.

3. In 1865, on April 2, Confederate General Robert E. Lee informed President Jefferson Davis of his intention to surrender his army. This surrender effectively ended the American Civil War and began the process of reunifying the nation.

4. On April 2, 1891, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) moved from its original location in Boston’s Back Bay to its current location in Cambridge. At the time, MIT was still primarily focused on industrial education, but it would go on to become one of the world’s preeminent scientific and engineering institutions.

5. April 2, 1917, was the day that President Woodrow Wilson asked Congress for a declaration of war against Germany, marking the United States’ entry into World War I. Massachusetts played a significant role in the war effort, with many of its residents joining the armed forces or working in war-related industries.