1. In 1639, the first printing press in the American colonies was brought to Massachusetts Bay by English printer Stephen Daye. The press was set up in Cambridge and its first publication was the Freeman's Oath, printed on November 24, 1639.

2. On November 24, 1759, British forces under the command of General James Wolfe captured the French-held city of Quebec, turning the tide of the French and Indian War in North America. Wolfe died in the battle, but his victory paved the way for British dominance in the region.

3. The first Thanksgiving Day parade was held in Boston on November 24, 1920. Sponsored by the Jordan Marsh department store, the parade featured floats, marching bands, and a Santa Claus who arrived on a firetruck.

4. In 1963, Jack Ruby, the man who shot and killed Lee Harvey Oswald, the assassin of President John F. Kennedy, was arrested in Dallas, Texas. Ruby was born in Chicago but had lived and worked in Massachusetts before moving to Texas.

5. On November 24, 2001, Astronaut Susan Helms set the record for the longest spacewalk by a woman. Helms, a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, spent 8 hours and 56 minutes outside the International Space Station, conducting experiments and completing repairs.