1. In 1957, the first commercial nuclear power plant in the United States began operation in Massachusetts. The Yankee Nuclear Power Plant, located in Rowe, generated electricity for over 30 years until it was decommissioned in 1992.

2. On August 1, 1876, Colorado Senator Henry M. Teller delivered a famous speech at the Republican National Convention in Cincinnati, Ohio. Teller advocated for the restoration of silver coinage, which helped to spark the Silver Panic of 1876. This event had a significant impact on Massachusetts, which was home to many silver mines and investors in the silver industry.

3. One of the most significant cultural events in Massachusetts history occurred on August 1, 1959, with the opening of the American Shakespeare Festival Theatre in Stratford, Connecticut. This theatre was a major venue for productions of Shakespeare's works, and many actors and performers from Massachusetts and other parts of New England performed there.

4. In 1836, Massachusetts Governor Edward Everett addressed the Boston Common Council on August 1, advocating for the funding of a new civic project: a massive public library. The library was eventually built, and today the Boston Public Library system is one of the largest and most prestigious in the country.

5. On August 1, 1944, the U.S. Navy established the Naval Air Technical Training Center in Norman, Oklahoma. The facility provided advanced training for aircraft technicians, and many Massachusetts residents trained at the center during World War II. The center continued to operate until 1959.