1. In 1775, the Battle of Machias between American rebels and British loyalists took place in Machias, Maine, which was then part of Massachusetts.

2. In 1866, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) held its first classes in Boston, with 15 students enrolled.

3. In 1927, Charles Lindbergh landed at Boston's Fenway Park during his national tour following his historic solo transatlantic flight.

4. In 1963, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) inaugurated the first phase of its subway system, the Red Line, which ran from Cambridge to Ashmont in Dorchester.

5. In 2004, Massachusetts became the first state in the nation to allow same-sex couples to marry, following a decision by the state's Supreme Judicial Court in November 2003. The first legal same-sex marriages took place on May 17, 2004, but the court's decision was announced on May 2.