Massachusetts

                                              


Massachusetts is a U.S. state in New England known for its significant Colonial history. In Boston, its capital, the Freedom Trail is a walking route of sites related to the American Revolution. These include the Bunker Hill Monument, commemorating the war's first major battle in 1775. The city is also home to the Museum of Fine Arts and other notable institutions. The Red Sox pro baseball team plays at Fenway Park.


Capital: Boston

State abbreviation/Postal code: Mass./MA

U.S. Representatives: 9

Present constitution drafted: 1780 (oldest U.S. state constitution in effect today)

Entered Union (rank): Feb. 6, 1788 (6)

Motto: Ense petit placidam sub libertate quietem (By the sword we seek peace, but peace only under liberty)

State symbols:

flower mayflower (1918)
tree American elm (1941)
bird chickadee (1941)
song "All Hail to Massachusetts" (1966)
beverage cranberry juice (1970)
insect ladybug (1974)
cookie chocolate chip (1997)
muffin corn muffin (1986)
dessert Boston cream pie (1996)
Nicknames: Bay State; Old Colony State

Origin of name: From Massachusett tribe of Native Americans, meaning “at or about the great hill”

10 largest cities (2012): Boston, 636,479; Worcester, 182,669; Springfield, 153,552; Lowell, 108,522; Cambridge, 106,471; New Bedford, 94,929; Brockton, 94,094; Quincy, 93,027; Lynn, 91,253; Fall River, 88,857

Land area: 7,840 sq mi. (20,306 sq km)

Geographic center: In the town of Rutland in Worcester Co.

Number of counties: 14

Largest county by population and area: Middlesex, 1,503,085 (2010); Worcester, 1,513 sq mi.

State forests and parks: 450,000 ac.

Residents: Bay Stater


2015 resident population: 6,794,422


Massachusetts Fun Facts

• British colonist John Smith named Massachusetts for the Massachusett tribe. The name "Massachusetts" meant “near the great hill.”
• The first lighthouse in the United States was built on Little Brewster Island in the Boston Harbor in 1716.
• Basketball was invented in December 1891 by James Naismith in Springfield.
• Volleyball was invented in 1895 by William Morgan in Holyoke. Volleyball was originally called "Mintonette."
• Boston Common, established in 1634, is the first public park in the United States.
• The Boston subway, which opened on September 1, 1897, is the first subway system in the United States.
• Boston Public Library is the second largest public library in the United States. Harvard University Library, also in Boston, is the third largest library in the United States.
• The first telephone call in history was made between inventor Alexander Graham Bell and his assistant, Thomas Watson, on March 10, 1876, in Boston. Bell spoke the words, “Mr. Watson, come here, I want to see you” and Watson heard it from the receiver in the next room.
• Boston Latin School, founded in 1635, is the first public school in the United States. It is also the oldest existing school in the United States.
• In 2003, Massachusetts became the first stage to legalize same-sex marriage.
• In Massachusetts, it is illegal to give alcoholic beverages to a hospital patient, unless directed by a physician.
• The first printed book in the United States was the Bay Psalm Book, first printed in 1640 in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Sports Teams

Major Sports Teams
MLB: Boston Red Sox


NFL: New England Patriots
NBA: Boston Celtics
NHL: Boston Bruins

NCAA Division I Schools
Boston College (ACC) 
Boston University (Patriot) 
Harvard University (Ivy) 
College of the Holy Cross (Patriot) 
University of Massachusetts Amherst (Atlantic 10) 
Northeastern University (Colonial Athletic Association)

Popular Tourist Attractions

• Martha's Vineyard: Island located south of Cape Cod in Massachusetts.
• Six Flags New England: Amusement park in Agawam, Massachusetts.
• Faneuil Hall: Shopping mall in Boston, Massachusetts.
• Freedom Trail: 2.5-mile-long path through downtown Boston, Massachusetts, that passes by 16 locations of historical significance.
• Museum of Fine Arts Boston: Art museum in Boston, Massachusetts.
• New England Aquarium: Aquarium in Boston, Massachusetts.
• Tanglewood: Music center in Lenox, Massachusetts.
• USS Constitution: Historic battleship in Charlestown, Massachusetts.
• Boston Common: Park in Boston, Massachusetts.
• Museum of Science: Science museum in Boston, Massachusetts.
• Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame: Basketball hall of fame museum in Springfield, Massachusetts.
• Jiminy Peak: Ski resort in Hancock, Massachusetts.
• Wachusett Mountain: Ski resort in Princeton, Massachusetts.
• Harvard Square: City center in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
• Institute of Contemporary Art Boston: Art museum in Boston, Massachusetts.
• Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum: Museum of international art in Boston, Massachusetts.
• Peabody Essex Museum: Art museum in Salem, Massachusetts.

Famous People Born In Massachusetts

Nobel Prize Winners

• George R. Minot (Physiology or Medicine, 1934)
• James B. Sumner (Chemistry, 1946)
• Emily Greene Balch (Peace, 1946)
• Percy W. Bridgman (Physics, 1946)
• Robert B. Woodward (Chemistry, 1965)
• Robert S. Mulliken (Chemistry, 1966)
• Walter Gilbert (Chemistry, 1980)
• George D. Snell (Physiology or Medicine, 1980)
• Kenneth G. Wilson (Physics, 1982)
• Elias James Corey (Chemistry, 1990)
• Merton H. Miller (Economic Sciences, 1990)
• William F. Sharpe (Economic Sciences, 1990)
• Henry W. Kendall (Physics, 1990)
• Joseph E. Murray (Physiology or Medicine, 1990)
• Douglass C. North (Economic Sciences, 1993)
• William Knowles (Chemistry, 2001)
• Roderick MacKinnon (Chemistry, 2003)
• Roger B. Myerson (Economic Sciences, 2007)
• Richard F. Heck (Chemistry, 2010)
• Lloyd S. Shapley (Economic Sciences, 2012)
• Eugene F. Fama (Economic Sciences, 2013)
• James E. Rothman (Physiology or Medicine, 2013)

United States Presidents

• John Adams (2nd President)
• John Quincy Adams (6th President)
• John F. Kennedy (35th President)
• George Bush (41st President)

Pro Football Hall Of Fame Members

• Ed Healey (Tackle, Guard, End. Inducted in 1964)
• Wayne Millner (Offensive End. Inducted in 1968)
• Al Davis (Coach, General Manager, Team Owner, AFL Commissioner. Inducted in 1992)
• Howie Long (Defensive End. Inducted in 2000)
• Nick Buoniconti (Linebacker. Inducted in 2001)

Baseball Hall Of Fame Players

• Jack Chesbro (Pitcher. Inducted in 1946)
• Tommy McCarthy (Right Fielder. Inducted in 1946)
• Mickey Cochrane (Catcher. Inducted in 1947)
• Pie Traynor (Third Baseman. Inducted in 1948)
• Rabbit Maranville (Shortstop. Inducted in 1954)
• John Clarkson (Pitcher. Inducted in 1963)
• Tim Keefe (Pitcher. Inducted in 1964)
• Joe Kelley (Left Fielder. Inducted in 1971)
• Frank Grant (Second Baseman. Inducted in 2006)
• Tom Glavine (Pitcher. Inducted in 2014)
• Jeff Bagwell (First Baseman. Inducted in 2017)

Famous Actors And Actresses

• Matt Damon
• Bette Davis
• Chris Evans
• Jack Lemmon
• Amy Poehler
• Mark Wahlberg
• Famous Singers
• Paula Cole
• Donna Summer
• James Taylor