1. In 1796, Massachusetts approved the first state statute in the United States to require vaccination against smallpox. This was a landmark law in public health history.

2. On July 12, 1549, Jesuit priest Francis Xavier arrived in Japan, marking the beginning of the spread of Christianity in Japan. Xavier is considered a co-founder of the Society of Jesus, and is recognized as a saint in the Catholic Church.

3. In 1643, the first treaty between the English colonists and the Wampanoag tribe was signed in Massachusetts. The treaty provided for military cooperation against hostile Native American tribes and established guidelines for trade between the English and the Wampanoag.

4. On July 12, 1974, Boston Red Sox player Carl Yastrzemski became the 18th player in Major League Baseball history to reach 3,000 career hits. Yastrzemski played his entire 23-year career with the Red Sox and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1989.

5. In 1787, Massachusetts became the sixth state to ratify the United States Constitution, helping to secure its adoption. The Constitution established the framework for the federal government and remains the supreme law of the land in the United States.