The city, on the calendar
Today in Boston.
Today's feature changes automatically at midnight in Boston. It shows a documented anniversary when we have one; otherwise, a clearly labeled history note. Explore verified dates below without changing today's feature.
A Boston history note
From the city’s past
Two parks, two origins
Boston Common began as a town pasture in 1634; the Public Garden grew from an 1837 petition for a botanical garden.
Source: Friends of the Public Garden
When we have a documented anniversary for today, it appears here. Otherwise, this is a sourced history note—not an event claimed for today.
History archive
Documented dates to explore anytime. The feature above always stays on today.
- January 15 · 1919
The Great Molasses Flood
A storage tank burst in the North End and sent molasses through nearby streets. It is a serious chapter of Boston history, not a joke.
Source: National Park Service ↗ - March 5 · 1770
The Boston Massacre
British soldiers fired into a crowd on King Street. Five colonists died; the site is marked outside today's Old State House.
Source: National Park Service ↗ - March 17 · 1776
British forces evacuated Boston
The departure followed the Continental Army's fortification of Dorchester Heights. Boston still marks the date as Evacuation Day.
Source: National Park Service ↗ - March 20 · 1854
The public library opened its first building
Boston Public Library welcomed readers into a former schoolhouse on Mason Street. Its collection already had about 16,000 volumes.
Source: Boston Public Library ↗ - April 18 · 1775
Two lanterns were displayed at Old North
Robert Newman and John Pulling climbed the church tower to send a warning signal before the battles at Lexington and Concord.
Source: National Park Service ↗ - April 19 · 1897
The first Boston Marathon was run
Fifteen runners started the inaugural race. The distance then was shorter than today's standard marathon.
Source: Boston Athletic Association ↗ - June 17 · 1775
The Battle of Bunker Hill
Much of the fighting took place on Breed's Hill in Charlestown, where the Bunker Hill Monument now stands.
Source: National Park Service ↗ - July 18 · 1776
Boston heard the Declaration
The Declaration of Independence was read to Bostonians from the balcony of the Old State House, two weeks after Congress adopted it.
Source: National Park Service ↗ - September 1 · 1897
The first subway section opened
Service began on the Tremont Street Subway, the first underground public transit system in the United States.
Source: National Park Service, National Historic Landmark documentation ↗ - September 29 · 1690
Boston's first newspaper was shut down
Four days after Publick Occurrences appeared, the governor and council ordered it suppressed. Its first issue was also its last.
Source: American Antiquarian Society, reproduction of the 1690 order ↗ - October 13 · 1903
Boston won the first modern World Series
The Boston Americans beat Pittsburgh. The team would later be called the Red Sox.
Source: Major League Baseball ↗ - November 9 · 1872
The Great Boston Fire began
A fire in downtown Boston destroyed more than a thousand businesses over November 9 and 10.
Source: City of Boston Archives ↗ - December 16 · 1773
The Boston Tea Party
After a mass meeting at Old South Meeting House, protesters boarded tea ships and dumped 342 chests into the harbor.
Source: National Park Service ↗