1. In 1764, the Province of Massachusetts Bay passed the Sugar Act, which was a tax on foreign molasses and sugar. This act was met with strong opposition from the colonists and is considered one of the causes of the American Revolution.

2. On October 5, 1789, the first Jewish synagogue in Massachusetts was consecrated in Newport, Rhode Island. The Touro Synagogue is still standing and is now a National Historic Site.

3. In 1859, John Brown led a raid on the federal armory at Harpers Ferry in Virginia in an attempt to start a slave rebellion. Among his supporters were several men from Massachusetts, including William Leeman and Richard Realf.

4. On October 5, 1919, a strike by Boston police officers sparked a wave of unrest known as the Boston Police Strike. The strike lasted nine days and resulted in riots, looting, and violence. Governor Calvin Coolidge famously declared, "There is no right to strike against the public safety by anybody, anywhere, any time."

5. In 1988, the Boston Red Sox won the American League East Division title on October 5, 1988, after defeating the Toronto Blue Jays. This was the first time the Red Sox had won the division since 1975. The team advanced to the ALCS but lost to the Oakland Athletics.