1. The Gunpowder Plot was foiled: November 5 marks the anniversary of the Gunpowder Plot of 1605, in which a group of English Catholics attempted to blow up the Houses of Parliament. The plot was foiled, and November 5 has since been celebrated as Guy Fawkes Night in England. Although Massachusetts was not directly involved in the plot, the event had important implications for the colony's relationship with England.

2. Massachusetts became a state: On November 5, 1783, Massachusetts officially became a state. The former colony had been granted statehood by the Continental Congress several months earlier, but the state constitution was not ratified until November 5. Today, November 5 is celebrated as Statehood Day in Massachusetts.

3. A famous abolitionist was born: William Lloyd Garrison, a prominent abolitionist and social reformer, was born on November 5, 1805, in Newburyport, Massachusetts. Garrison is best known for his work as editor of the anti-slavery newspaper The Liberator and for his outspoken advocacy for the immediate abolition of slavery. Garrison's activism helped to galvanize the abolitionist movement in the United States.

4. The Boston Red Sox won the World Series: On November 5, 2018, the Boston Red Sox defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 5 of the World Series. The victory marked the fourth World Series win for the Red Sox in the 21st century and the ninth overall in the team's history. The win was especially sweet for Red Sox fans, as it came just one year after the team was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.

5. The Pilgrims arrived in Cape Cod: On November 5, 1620, the Pilgrims made their initial landing in Cape Cod, after a two-month voyage across the Atlantic on the Mayflower. Although the Pilgrims did not arrive at their intended destination (Virginia), their landing in present-day Massachusetts marked the beginning of their settlement in the New World. The Pilgrims went on to establish the colony of Plymouth, which would become one of the earliest European settlements in North America.