1. In 1775, during the Revolutionary War, Massachusetts patriot Paul Revere rode from Charlestown to Lexington to warn Samuel Adams and John Hancock of the approaching British army. This ride became known as "Paul Revere's midnight ride" and played a significant role in the events leading up to the first battle of the war.

2. On July 20, 1810, the steamship "The Yankee" made its maiden voyage from Boston to Providence, Rhode Island. This was the first steamship to operate on the regular passenger and freight route between the two cities, marking a significant milestone in transportation history.

3. In 1969, Massachusetts astronaut Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin became the second person to walk on the moon during the Apollo 11 mission. Aldrin, who was born in Glen Ridge, New Jersey, attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and later served as a professor of aeronautics there.

4. On July 20, 1976, the Sacco and Vanzetti Memorial was dedicated in Boston. This monument honors the two Italian immigrants who were executed in 1927 after being convicted of murder in a controversial trial that many believe was influenced by anti-immigrant and anti-anarchist sentiment.

5. In 2003, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court issued its landmark ruling in Goodridge v. Department of Public Health, which made Massachusetts the first state in the United States to legalize same-sex marriage. The ruling paved the way for a national debate on the issue, and many other states subsequently followed Massachusetts' lead.