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Quincy's Market Opens

August 26, 1826
August 26, 1826

Quincy's Market Opens

On this day in 1826, Boston celebrated the grand opening of the Faneuil Hall, commonly known as Quincy Marketplace. Located on the site that had long served as Boston's public market, the three massive buildings...

Celtics Coach Red Auerbach Retires

April 28, 1966
April 28, 1966

Celtics Coach Red Auerbach Retires

On this day in 1966, Red Auerbach retired as head coach of the Boston Celtics after leading the team to 11 championships in 16 years. The Brooklyn native was a genius at acquiring talented players...

Washington Ends Visit to Massachusetts

October 31, 1789
October 31, 1789

Washington Ends Visit to Massachusetts

On this day in 1789, George Washington concluded a ten-day presidential visit to Massachusetts. Adoring crowds of grateful citizens greeted him everywhere. People preserved the dishes he used, the chairs he sat on, and the...

Massachusetts Executes Sacco and Vanzetti

August 23, 1927
August 23, 1927

Massachusetts Executes Sacco and Vanzetti

On this day in 1927, Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti were put to death in the state prison in Charlestown. A jury convicted them of murder and robbery in 1921, but a long struggle was...

Charles Dickens Begins Second American Tour

December 2, 1867
December 2, 1867

Charles Dickens Begins Second American Tour

On this day in 1867, Charles Dickens began his second American reading tour at Boston's Tremont Temple. An enthusiastic audience, which included literary stars Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and Ralph Waldo Emerson, seemed to have forgotten...

Town Meeting Auctions Poor Woman to Lowest Bidder

October 18, 1786
October 18, 1786

Town Meeting Auctions Poor Woman to Lowest Bidder

On this day in 1786, Malden's selectmen put up for "vendue" Mary Degresha, who was unable to support herself. They auctioned her off to the lowest bidder, who agreed to accept payment of six dollars...

Robert Cormier Born

January 17, 1925
January 17, 1925

Robert Cormier Born

On this day in 1925, author Robert Cormier was born into Leominster's tight-knit French-Canadian neighborhood, and he remained there for the rest of his life. After graduating from Fitchburg State University, he began a 30-year...

First Legal Sea Foods Lost to Fire

January 16, 1980
January 16, 1980

First Legal Sea Foods Lost to Fire

On this day in 1980, fire destroyed the original Legal Sea Foods fish market and restaurant in Cambridge. The restaurant re-opened, but the business soon outgrew the neighborhood. Today there are 30 family-owned Legal Sea...

Voters Deny Massachusetts Women the Vote

November 2, 1915
November 2, 1915

Voters Deny Massachusetts Women the Vote

On this day in 1915, a referendum to give Massachusetts women the vote failed at the polls. In spite of its leading role in the nineteenth-century woman's rights movement, Massachusetts was the first state to...

William Pynchon Buys Land for Springfield

July 15, 1635
July 15, 1635

William Pynchon Buys Land for Springfield

On this day in 1636, William Pynchon received the deed giving him title to most of what is now Springfield, Longmeadow, and Agawam. In exchange, he paid the local Agawam Indians 18 fathoms of wampum,...

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