1. In 1831, William Lloyd Garrison published the first issue of his abolitionist newspaper, The Liberator, in Boston. The paper was a major force in the fight against slavery in the United States.

2. In 1902, the Old Colony Railroad, which connected Boston with southeastern Massachusetts and Cape Cod, was electrified, making it one of the first fully-electrified railroads in the world.

3. In 1911, the Massachusetts State House, located on Beacon Hill in Boston, was completed. The building, which features a distinctive gold dome, is the seat of government for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

4. In 1968, the Democratic National Convention was held in Chicago, Illinois, but Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy delivered a speech at a pre-convention event in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts. The speech, which called for unity in the Democratic Party, was seen as a precursor to Kennedy's presidential ambitions.

5. In 2000, the famous Red Sox-Yankees rivalry took a bizarre turn when a fan named Jeffrey Maier reached over the fence at Yankee Stadium and caught a fly ball, robbing Red Sox outfielder Trot Nixon of a potential catch. The play was controversial and helped the Yankees win the game and eventually the American League Championship Series.