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Fire Rages at Myles Standish State Forest
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...
Polaroid Wins Patent Suit Against Kodak
Polaroid Wins Patent Suit Against Kodak
On this day in 1985, Polaroid won a huge victory in federal court. A judge ruled that Kodak had violated Polaroid's patents for instant photography. The decision ended a nine-year legal struggle between the two...
Police Find First Victim of "Boston Strangler"
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...
Patent Office Rules in Favor of Elias Howe
Patent Office Rules in Favor of Elias Howe
On this day in 1854, the battle ended over who owned the patent for the first sewing machine. A federal commission ruled that the patent held by Elias Howe of Cambridge was valid and ordered...
Great Fire Devastates Boston
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...
Celtics Coach Red Auerbach Retires
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...
Dewey Proposes Library Classification System
Dewey Proposes Library Classification System
On this day in 1873, Amherst College junior Melvil Dewey made a proposal to the faculty. He had been working in the college library and was frustrated by the lack of logic in the way...
William Pynchon Buys Land for Springfield
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,...
Quincy's Market Opens
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...
Rockport Women Smash Liquor Barrels
Rockport Women Smash Liquor Barrels
On this day in 1856, 200 women, some of them wielding hatchets and ranging in age from 37 to 75, rampaged through the town of Rockport destroying every container of alcohol they could find. One...