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Architect Charles Bulfinch Obtains Mortgage

December 18, 1794
December 18, 1794

Architect Charles Bulfinch Obtains Mortgage

On this day in 1794, Boston architect Charles Bulfinch obtained a mortgage for the house he had recently designed and built for his family. The 31-year-old Bulfinch had donated so many plans for city churches,...

John Quincy Adams Returns to Paris

August 9, 1783
August 9, 1783

John Quincy Adams Returns to Paris

On this day in 1783 John Quincy Adams traveled from Holland to Paris with his father, John Adams. The senior Adams was involved in negotiating a peace treaty with Great Britain. On September 3rd, the...

Oak Bluffs Writer Dorothy West Dies

August 16, 1998
August 16, 1998

Oak Bluffs Writer Dorothy West Dies

On this day in 1998, Dorothy West died on Martha's Vineyard. The Boston-born writer was the last living member of the Harlem Renaissance, a movement of African American artists, writers, and musicians that energized American...

Composer Stravinsky Visits Gropius House in Lincoln

May 2, 1940
May 2, 1940

Composer Stravinsky Visits Gropius House in Lincoln

On this day in 1940, the German-born architect Walter Gropius and his wife Ise opened their new home in Lincoln to some old friends — the great composer Igor Stravinsky and his wife Vera. Gropius...

Ted Williams Bats for the Last Time

September 28, 1960
September 28, 1960

Ted Williams Bats for the Last Time

On this day in 1960, Ted Williams thrilled the fans at Fenway by hitting a dramatic homer at his last at-bat in his 21-year career with the Boston Red Sox. A complicated man and brilliant...

U.S. Hockey Team Wins Olympic Gold

February 24, 1980
February 24, 1980

U.S. Hockey Team Wins Olympic Gold

On this day in 1980, the U.S. hockey team beat Finland to win the Gold Medal at the Lake Placid Olympics. What really captured the country's imagination occurred two days earlier in the semi-finals. The...

Memorial to Anne Bradstreet Dedicated

September 12, 2000
September 12, 2000

Memorial to Anne Bradstreet Dedicated

On this day in 2000, several North Shore communities were celebrating "Anne Bradstreet Week" to mark the 350th anniversary of the publication of her work. A reenactment commemorated her arrival in Salem in 1630. Events...

Fans Celebrate John L. Sullivan

August 18, 1887
August 18, 1887

Fans Celebrate John L. Sullivan

On this day in 1887, thousands of adoring hometown fans flocked to Nantasket Beach in Hull to glimpse Boston-born John L. Sullivan, the Heavyweight Champion of the World, and the diamond-studded, gold-plated belt he was...

Office to Help Freed Slaves Opens in Worcester

September 27, 1867
September 27, 1867

Office to Help Freed Slaves Opens in Worcester

On this day in 1867, a Worcester newspaper announced that "in accordance with the desire of a number of citizens," a freedmens' office would be established to make it easy for white employers to hire...

Legislature Allows Establishment of Mount Auburn Cemetery

June 23, 1831
June 23, 1831

Legislature Allows Establishment of Mount Auburn Cemetery

On this day in 1831, the legislature granted the Massachusetts Horticultural Society permission to purchase land for use as an experimental garden and a rural cemetery. Located on the border of Cambridge and Watertown, the...

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