1. In 1820, Massachusetts became the 23rd state to ratify the United States Constitution. The state had initially refused to ratify the Constitution without a Bill of Rights, which was eventually added as the first ten amendments.

2. On March 6, 1836, the Battle of the Alamo began in present-day Texas. Among the defenders of the Alamo were several men from Massachusetts, including William Barret Travis and James Bowie.

3. In 1857, the Massachusetts legislature passed an act allowing women to act as attorneys in court. This made Massachusetts the first state to grant women full legal rights in this regard.

4. On March 6, 1912, the city of New Bedford was devastated by a massive fire that destroyed over 100 buildings and left thousands homeless. The fire was eventually brought under control thanks to the efforts of firefighters from surrounding communities.

5. In 1957, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) achieved the first successful launch of a satellite built in the United States. The satellite, called Explorer 1, was launched from Cape Canaveral in Florida and helped to usher in the era of space exploration.