Trending Moments
Kerouac Writes First Novel
Kerouac Writes First Novel
On this day in 1948, Lowell native Jack Kerouac happily noted in his diary that he had written 2500 words. If he could keep up this pace, he would finish his first novel in a...
Harry "Bucky" Lew Born
Harry "Bucky" Lew Born
On this day in 1884, Harry Haskell Lew was born in Lowell to a family that had long been active in the struggle for racial equality. Known from childhood as "Bucky," he made his mark...
Stock Market Crash Heralds Great Depression
Stock Market Crash Heralds Great Depression
On this day in 1929, stock markets in Boston, New York, and other major American cities tumbled so dramatically that the day was named Black Tuesday. Capping five days of frenzied panic selling, Black Tuesday...
Robert Goddard Launches Space Age
Robert Goddard Launches Space Age
On this day in 1926, Clark University physics professor Robert Goddard launched the world's first liquid fuel rocket — and with it the space age. Standing in a snow-covered field in Auburn, Massachusetts, he watched...
Route 128 Opens Boston's High Tech Age
Route 128 Opens Boston's High Tech Age
On this day in 1951, the first segment of Route 128 was opened. By 1956, the expressway stretched 65 miles from Gloucester to Braintree. While officials were confident the road would relieve traffic in Boston...
Free Love Supporters Protest at Faneuil Hall
Free Love Supporters Protest at Faneuil Hall
On this day in 1878, several thousand supporters of Ezra Heywood held an "Indignation Meeting" at Boston's Faneuil Hall. They were protesting his conviction and imprisonment on obscenity charges. Educated for the ministry, he had...
Jury Finds Mary Parsons Not Guilty of Witchcraft
Jury Finds Mary Parsons Not Guilty of Witchcraft
On this day in 1675, a Boston jury reached a verdict in the case of Mary Bliss Parsons of Northampton: they found her not guilty of witchcraft. In seventeenth-century New England, virtually everyone believed in...
Isaiah Thomas Born
Isaiah Thomas Born
On this day in 1749, the Patriot printer Isaiah Thomas was born. In 1770, Thomas established the Massachusetts Spy, the first newspaper aimed at middle-class readers. While other papers were happy with 400 subscribers, the...
JFK's Farewell to Massachusetts Legislature
JFK's Farewell to Massachusetts Legislature
On this day in 1961, John F. Kennedy bade farewell to the people of Massachusetts and reminded them of the state's unique legacy. In a speech at the State House, the youngest man and first...
Tenley Albright Wins Olympic Gold
Tenley Albright Wins Olympic Gold
On this day in 1956, figure skater Tenley Albright won the Gold Medal at the Olympic Games in Cortina, Italy. This should not have been a surprise, but it was. The 20-year-old from Newton was...