1. In 1775, the town of Stockbridge, Massachusetts formed a militia to fight against British forces during the American Revolution. The regiment, consisting of over 250 men, was led by Colonel John Ashley.

2. On August 23, 1831, William Lloyd Garrison published the first issue of The Liberator, an abolitionist newspaper based in Boston. The paper advocated for the immediate emancipation of slaves and was a influential voice in the anti-slavery movement.

3. In 1902, the town of New Bedford, Massachusetts was hit by a devastating fire that destroyed hundreds of buildings and left thousands homeless. The fire was caused by a gas explosion and burned for over 12 hours before it was finally contained.

4. On August 23, 1927, Boston Red Sox pitcher Herb Pennock threw a no-hitter against the Philadelphia Athletics. Pennock's feat remains one of only three no-hitters ever thrown by a Red Sox pitcher at Fenway Park.

5. In 2000, the Democratic National Convention was held in Los Angeles, but Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy gave his speech via satellite from a hospital in Boston. Kennedy had recently been diagnosed with cancer and was unable to travel to California, but still gave a passionate address urging voters to support Al Gore for president.