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Boston Celebrates First Evacuation Day

March 17, 1901
March 17, 1901

Boston Celebrates First Evacuation Day

On this day in 1901, the City of Boston officially celebrated Evacuation Day for the first time. In early March of 1776, Continental troops managed to move heavy cannon to the top of Dorchester Heights....

"Johnny Appleseed" Dies

March 18, 1845
March 18, 1845

"Johnny Appleseed" Dies

On this day in 1845, John Chapman died having made a fortune planting apple saplings on the American frontier. Born and raised in Leominster, the man remembered as "Johnny Appleseed" left Massachusetts in the 1790s...

Babysitter Wins Lottery Jackpot

April 6, 1999
April 6, 1999

Babysitter Wins Lottery Jackpot

On this day in 1999, Maria Grasso of Boston won what was then the largest payoff to a single individual in an American lottery — $197,000,000. An immigrant from Chile, Grasso had arrived in the...

John Howe Spies on Concord, or Not

April 11, 1775
April 11, 1775

John Howe Spies on Concord, or Not

On this day in 1775, John Howe arrived in Concord to spy for British General Gage. He quickly gained the trust of the town's leading patriots. They took him to a storehouse, showed him the...

Rosie Ruiz Steals Boston Marathon

April 21, 1980
April 21, 1980

Rosie Ruiz Steals Boston Marathon

On this day in 1980 Rosie Ruiz tried to steal the Boston Marathon. Crowned the women's champion when she crossed the finish line, Ruiz looked surprisingly well-rested for someone who had just run 26.2 miles...

Globe Publishes First "Confidential Chat"

May 11, 1884
May 11, 1884

Globe Publishes First "Confidential Chat"

On this day in 1884, The Boston Globe published the first "Housekeepers Column," known since 1922 as "Confidential Chat." Although many Globe reporters at first looked with disdain on a column in which readers —...

Final Episode of "Cheers" Airs

May 20, 1993
May 20, 1993

Final Episode of "Cheers" Airs

On this day in 1993, the sitcom "Cheers" aired its 275th and final episode. One of the most popular shows in television history, "Cheers" was set in a bar modeled on the Bull and Finch...

The "Big E" Incorporated

May 27, 1914
May 27, 1914

The "Big E" Incorporated

On this day in 1914, a group of western Massachusetts businessmen created a new organization, the Eastern States Agricultural and Industrial Exposition. Its purpose was to promote New England agriculture, which was in serious decline,...

Children's Cancer Research Foundation Incorporated

June 8, 1951
June 8, 1951

Children's Cancer Research Foundation Incorporated

On this day in 1951 the Children's Cancer Research Foundation was incorporated. Founded by pioneering Boston physician Sidney Farber, it was the first cancer center in the country designed specifically for children. In the days...

Bostonians Lay Cornerstone for Bunker Hill Monument

June 17, 1825
June 17, 1825

Bostonians Lay Cornerstone for Bunker Hill Monument

On this day in 1825, at the laying of the cornerstone of the Bunker Hill Monument, Daniel Webster addressed a crowd of 100,000, including 190 veterans who had survived the first major battle of the...

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