1. On February 1, 1865, Massachusetts passed the first compulsory education law in the United States, which required all children between the ages of 8 and 14 to attend school.
2. February 1, 2004 marked the day that Massachusetts became the first state in the country to allow same-sex couples to marry.
3. In 1788, Massachusetts became the sixth state to ratify the United States Constitution on February 1, making it an official part of the country.
4. On February 1, 1960, the Woolworth's department store in Greensboro, North Carolina, became the site of a sit-in by African American college students. Massachusetts native and civil rights activist, Bayard Rustin, played a role in organizing this and other nonviolent protests during the civil rights movement.
5. February 1, 1943 was the date of an important event in military history, when the USS Dorchester was sunk by a German U-boat off the coast of Greenland during World War II. Among the 672 passengers onboard were four chaplains, including Massachusetts native John P. Washington, who gave their life jackets to others and went down with the ship.