Trending Moments

Flu Epidemic Begins in Boston

August 27, 1918
August 27, 1918

Flu Epidemic Begins in Boston

On this day in 1918, two sailors housed at Boston's Commonwealth Pier reported to sickbay. The men were the first Americans stricken with a strain of influenza that would prove far more dangerous than the...

"Good Will Hunting" Released

December 5, 1997
December 5, 1997

"Good Will Hunting" Released

On this day in 1997, Miramax released "Good Will Hunting," a movie about the collision of two Boston-area cultures: the heady, prestigious world of Cambridge academia and the proud but gritty working-class brotherhood of South...

The Stockholm Rams the Andrea Doria

July 25, 1956
July 25, 1956

The Stockholm Rams the Andrea Doria

On this day in 1956, two ocean liners collided in thick fog, approximately 50 miles south of Nantucket. The Stockholm had just left New York City bound for Sweden. The Andrea Doria was due to...

Explorer Gosnold Names "Cape Cod"

May 15, 1602
May 15, 1602

Explorer Gosnold Names "Cape Cod"

On this day in 1602, the English explorer Bartholomew Gosnold dropped anchor off the Massachusetts coast. While he and four others went ashore, the rest of the crew pulled in so many cod that they...

Sarah Remond Ejected from Boston Theater

May 4, 1853
May 4, 1853

Sarah Remond Ejected from Boston Theater

On this day in 1853, Sarah Parker Remond and two other African Americans entered a Boston theater intending to enjoy a Mozart opera. When the manager discovered they were people of color, he directed them...

Police Find First Victim of "Boston Strangler"

June 14, 1962
June 14, 1962

Police Find First Victim of "Boston Strangler"

On this day in 1962, police discovered the body of the first victim of the "Boston Strangler." For the next two years, Boston would be paralyzed by fear as the strangling deaths of 13 women...

Boston Abolitionists Await Emancipation Proclamation

December 31, 1862
December 31, 1862

Boston Abolitionists Await Emancipation Proclamation

On this day, New Year's Eve 1862, William Lloyd Garrison, publisher of the abolitionist paper The Liberator, delayed printing the latest edition as he waited for news from Washington. At midnight, his son and daughter...

Great Fire Devastates Boston

November 9, 1872
November 9, 1872

Great Fire Devastates Boston

On this day in 1872, a monstrous fire nearly destroyed Boston's business district, ravaging the city from the Common to the waterfront. Beginning in a dry goods store, the blaze burned for 15 hours with...

Fire Rages at Myles Standish State Forest

May 25, 1964
May 25, 1964

Fire Rages at Myles Standish State Forest

On this day in 1964, a raging wildfire crossed the boundaries of Myles Standish State Forest, and into the town of Plymouth. Two days earlier flames had consumed 800 acres of the forest, but firefighters...

Harvard Students Occupy University Hall

April 9, 1969
April 9, 1969

Harvard Students Occupy University Hall

On this day in 1969, Harvard students took over University Hall, one of the college's oldest buildings. Opposed to the escalating war in Vietnam, the protesters demanded Harvard end its Reserve Officers' Training Corps, or...

Mass Moments is a project of Mass Humanities, whose mission is to support programs that use history, literature, philosophy, and the other humanities disciplines to enhance and improve civic life throughout the Commonwealth.

Please consider helping us towards our goals with a donation today.

Interested in sponsoring Mass Moments?

Please add 3 and 4.
An Error Occurred: Internal Server Error

Oops! An Error Occurred

The server returned a "500 Internal Server Error".

Something is broken. Please let us know what you were doing when this error occurred. We will fix it as soon as possible. Sorry for any inconvenience caused.