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Sixth Massachusetts Volunteer Regiment Organized

January 21, 1861
January 21, 1861

Sixth Massachusetts Volunteer Regiment Organized

On this day in 1861, the Sixth Massachusetts Volunteer Militia was formally organized. With war approaching, men who worked in the textile cities of Lowell and Lawrence joined this new infantry regiment. They were issued...

The Crucible Opens on Broadway

January 22, 1953
January 22, 1953

The Crucible Opens on Broadway

On this day in 1953, Arthur Miller's play The Crucible opened on Broadway. Four years after winning the Pulitzer Prize for Death of a Salesman, Miller had written a far more controversial play. Set in...

Indian Boys Arrive in Longmeadow

January 23, 1800
January 23, 1800

Indian Boys Arrive in Longmeadow

On this day in 1800, Thomas Thorakwaneken Williams arrived in Longmeadow with his two young sons, Eleazer and John. Thomas was the grandson of Eunice Williams, captured as a child during the 1704 raid on...

Henry Knox Brings Cannon to Boston

January 24, 1776
January 24, 1776

Henry Knox Brings Cannon to Boston

On this day in 1776, Colonel Henry Knox reached the headquarters of the Continental Army in Cambridge. The young Boston bookseller had pulled off a daring plan. He had led a small group of men...

Rebels Attack Springfield Arsenal

January 25, 1787
January 25, 1787

Rebels Attack Springfield Arsenal

On this day in 1787, 2,000 farmers from western Massachusetts attacked the new federal arsenal at Springfield. The government soldiers returned fire, killing three of the farmers. This was the beginning of the end of...

Lowell Women Sign On to Teach in the West

January 26, 1864
January 26, 1864

Lowell Women Sign On to Teach in the West

On this day in 1864, a visitor from Seattle held a meeting in Lowell. Asa Mercer explained to his largely female audience that there was a great scarcity of teachers in the Washington Territory. Jobs...

Bill Belichick Named Head Coach of the Patriots

January 27, 2000
January 27, 2000

Bill Belichick Named Head Coach of the Patriots

On this day in 2000, Bill Belichick was named head coach of the New England Patriots. Belichick had already earned a reputation as a brilliant defensive strategist in his years with the Giants and the...

Julia Ward Howe Elected to American Academy of Arts

January 28, 1907
January 28, 1907

Julia Ward Howe Elected to American Academy of Arts

On this day in 1907, 89-year-old Julia Ward Howe became the first woman elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Howe lived most of her long life in Boston, but it was in...

Robert Frost Dies

January 29, 1963
January 29, 1963

Robert Frost Dies

On this day in 1963, Robert Frost died, the most popular and renowned American poet of the twentieth century. But his success was a long time in coming. It was as a student at Lawrence...

First African American Graduate of Harvard Born

January 30, 1844
January 30, 1844

First African American Graduate of Harvard Born

On this day in 1844, Richard Greener, the first African American graduate of Harvard, was born. Born in Philadelphia, his mother moved the family to the Boston area in search of educational opportunities for her children....

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