Timeline of Boston
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timeline A timeline is a display of a list of events in chronological order. It is typically a graphic design showing a long bar labelled with dates paralleling it, and usually contemporaneous events. Timelines can use any suitable scale representi ...
of the
history History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the History of writing#Inventions of writing, invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbr ...
of the city of
Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
,
Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...
,
USA The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
.


17th century

* 1625 –
William Blaxton Reverend William Blaxton (also spelled William Blackstone) (1595 – 26 May 1675) was an early English settler in New England and the first European settler of Boston and Rhode Island. Biography William Blaxton was born in Horncastle, Lincolns ...
arrives. * 1630 - When Boston was founded ** English
Puritans The Puritans were English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries who sought to purify the Church of England of Roman Catholic practices, maintaining that the Church of England had not been fully reformed and should become more Protestant. P ...
arrive. **
First Church in Boston First Church in Boston is a Unitarian Universalist Church (originally Congregationalist) founded in 1630 by John Winthrop's original Puritan settlement in Boston, Massachusetts. The current building, located on 66 Marlborough Street in the Back ...
established. ** September 7 (
old style Old Style (O.S.) and New Style (N.S.) indicate dating systems before and after a calendar change, respectively. Usually, this is the change from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar as enacted in various European countries between 158 ...
): Boston named. * 1631 – Boston Watch (police) established. * 1632 – Settlement becomes capital of the English
Massachusetts Bay Colony The Massachusetts Bay Colony (1630–1691), more formally the Colony of Massachusetts Bay, was an English settlement on the east coast of North America around the Massachusetts Bay, the northernmost of the several colonies later reorganized as the ...
. * 1634 **
Boston Common The Boston Common (also known as the Common) is a public park in downtown Boston, Massachusetts. It is the oldest city park in the United States. Boston Common consists of of land bounded by Tremont Street (139 Tremont St.), Park Street, Beacon ...
established. ** Samuel Cole opened the first tavern in Boston, Massachusetts on March

* 1635 –
Boston Latin School The Boston Latin School is a public exam school in Boston, Massachusetts. It was established on April 23, 1635, making it both the oldest public school in the British America and the oldest existing school in the United States. Its curriculum f ...
founded. * 1636 – Town assumes the prerogatives of appointment and control of the Boston Watch. * 1637 –
Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts The Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts is the oldest chartered military organization in North America and the third oldest chartered military organization in the world. Its charter was granted in March 1638 by the Great and Gen ...
founded. * 1638 ** ''Desiré''
slave ship Slave ships were large cargo ships specially built or converted from the 17th to the 19th century for transporting slaves. Such ships were also known as "Guineamen" because the trade involved human trafficking to and from the Guinea coast ...
arrives. **
Anne Hutchinson Anne Hutchinson (née Marbury; July 1591 – August 1643) was a Puritan spiritual advisor, religious reformer, and an important participant in the Antinomian Controversy which shook the infant Massachusetts Bay Colony from 1636 to 1638. Her ...
excommunicated. * 1644 – "Slaving expedition" departs for Africa. * 1648 – Margaret Jones hanged as a witch. * 1649 – Second Church established. * 1652 – "Hull Mint", Robert Sanderson and John Hull establish a mint
the pine tree shilling The pine tree shilling was a type of coin minted and circulated in the thirteen colonies. The Massachusetts Bay Colony established a mint in Boston in 1652. John Hull was Treasurer and mintmaster; Hull's partner at the "Hull Mint" was Robert S ...
* 1656 –
Ann Hibbins Ann Hibbins (also spelled Hibbons or Hibbens) was a woman executed for witchcraft in Boston, Massachusetts, on June 19, 1656. Her death by hanging was the third for witchcraft in Boston and predated the Salem witch trials of 1692.Poole, William F. ...
hanged as a witch. * 1657 –
Scots Charitable Society of Boston The Scots Charitable Society (est.1657) of Boston, Massachusetts, was established to provide relief for local, "needy Scot people, after proper investigation." It "enjoys the distinction of being the oldest Scots society in America." It "became the ...
founded. * 1658 – Town-House built. * 1660 ** June 1:
Mary Dyer Mary Dyer (born Marie Barrett; c. 1611 – 1 June 1660) was an English and colonial American Puritan turned Quaker who was hanged in Boston, Massachusetts Bay Colony, for repeatedly defying a Puritan law banning Quakers from the colony. ...
hanged as a
Quaker Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of Christian denomination, denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belie ...
. **
Copp's Hill Burying Ground Copp's Hill Burying Ground is a historic cemetery in the North End of Boston, Massachusetts. Established in 1659, it was originally named "North Burying Ground", and was the city's second cemetery. History The cemetery was founded on Februa ...
and
Granary Burying Ground The Granary Burying Ground in Massachusetts is the city of Boston's third-oldest cemetery, founded in 1660 and located on Tremont Street. It is the final resting place for many notable Revolutionary War-era patriots, including Paul Revere, the ...
established. * 1669 – Third Church built. * 1679 ** Province House and Baptist church built. ** Fire. * 1680 –
Paul Revere House The Paul Revere House, built c.1680, was the colonial home of American patriot and Founding Father Paul Revere during the time of the American Revolution. A National Historic Landmark since 1961, it is located at 19 North Square, Boston, Massa ...
built (approximate date). * 1688 –
King's Chapel King's Chapel is an American independent christianity, Christian unitarianism, unitarian congregation affiliated with the Unitarian Universalist Association that is "unitarian Christian in theology, anglicanism, Anglican in worship, and congrega ...
built. * 1689 – The
Boston Revolt The 1689 Boston revolt was a popular uprising on April 18, 1689, against the rule of Sir Edmund Andros, the governor of the Dominion of New England. A well-organized "mob" of provincial militia and citizens formed in the town of Boston, the cap ...
results in the overthrow of
Sir Edmund Andros Sir Edmund Andros (6 December 1637 – 24 February 1714) was an English colonial administrator in British America. He was the governor of the Dominion of New England during most of its three-year existence. At other times, Andros served ...
, unpopular governor of the
Dominion of New England The Dominion of New England in America (1686–1689) was an administrative union of English colonies covering New England and the Mid-Atlantic Colonies (except for Delaware Colony and the Province of Pennsylvania). Its political structure represe ...
. * 1690 ** September 25: ''Publick Occurrences'' newspaper begins publication. ** London Coffee-House in business. * 1692 ** Town becomes part of the British colonial
Province of Massachusetts Bay The Province of Massachusetts Bay was a colony in British America which became one of the Thirteen Colonies, thirteen original states of the United States. It was chartered on October 7, 1691, by William III of England, William III and Mary II ...
. ** Boston Overseers of the Poor established. * 1699 –
Brattle Street Church The Brattle Street Church (1698–1876) was a Congregational (1698 – c. 1805) and Unitarian (c. 1805–1876) church on Brattle Street in Boston, Massachusetts. History In January 1698, " Thomas Brattle conveyed the land on which the meetin ...
built. * 1700 – North Writing School established.


18th century


1700s–1760s

* 1701 –
Castle William Fort Independence is a granite bastion fort that provided harbor defenses for Boston, Massachusetts. Located on Castle Island (Massachusetts), Castle Island, Fort Independence is one of the oldest continuously fortified sites of England, English ...
(fort) rebuilt in harbour. * 1704 ** Capen house built (approximate date). ** April 24: ''
The Boston News-Letter ''The Boston News-Letter'', first published on April 24, 1704, is regarded as the first continuously published newspaper in the colony of Massachusetts. It was heavily subsidized by the British government, with a limited circulation. All copies ...
'' begins publication. * 1705 –
Benjamin Franklin Benjamin Franklin ( April 17, 1790) was an American polymath who was active as a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher, and political philosopher. Encyclopædia Britannica, Wood, 2021 Among the leading inte ...
born on Milk St. * 1711 ** October: Fire. ** Pierce–Hichborn House built (approximate date). * 1712 – Crease's
apothecary ''Apothecary'' () is a mostly archaic term for a medical professional who formulates and dispenses '' materia medica'' (medicine) to physicians, surgeons, and patients. The modern chemist (British English) or pharmacist (British and North Ameri ...
rebuilt. * 1713 – May: Boston Bread Riot. * 1716 – Boston Light erected in harbour. * 1719 – December 21: ''
Boston Gazette The ''Boston Gazette'' (1719–1798) was a newspaper published in Boston, in the British North American colonies. It was a weekly newspaper established by William Brooker, who was just appointed Postmaster of Boston, with its first issue release ...
'' newspaper begins publication. * 1721 –
1721 Boston smallpox outbreak In 1721, Boston experienced its worst outbreak of smallpox (also known as variola). 5,759 people out of around 10,600 in Boston were infected and 844 were recorded to have died between April 1721 and February 1722. The outbreak motivated Puritan m ...
* 1722 ** John Bonner's map of Boston published. ** Population: 10,567. * 1723 –
Old North Church Old North Church (officially, Christ Church in the City of Boston), at 193 Salem Street, in the North End, Boston, is the location from which the famous "One if by land, two if by sea" signal is said to have been sent. This phrase is related ...
built, Salem Street. * 1729 –
Old South Meeting House The Old South Meeting House is a historic Congregational church building located at the corner of Milk and Washington Streets in the Downtown Crossing area of Boston, Massachusetts, built in 1729. It gained fame as the organizing point for th ...
and Granary built. * 1732 –
Hollis Street Church The Hollis Street Church (1732 - 1887) in Boston, Massachusetts, was a Congregational (1732 - c. 1800) and Unitarian (c. 1800 - 1887) church. It merged with the South Congregational Society of Boston in 1887. Brief history 1732-1825 In the ...
established. * 1733 – September 27: Rebekah Chamblit executed. * 1735 – Trinity Church built on Summer St. * 1737 ** Charitable Irish Society of Boston founded. **
Saint Patrick's Day Saint Patrick's Day, or the Feast of Saint Patrick ( ga, Lá Fhéile Pádraig, lit=the Day of the Festival of Patrick), is a cultural and religious celebration held on 17 March, the traditional death date of Saint Patrick (), the foremost patr ...
begins. * 1738 – Workhouse built. * 1742 –
Faneuil Hall Faneuil Hall ( or ; previously ) is a marketplace and meeting hall located near the waterfront and today's Government Center, in Boston, Massachusetts. Opened in 1742, it was the site of several speeches by Samuel Adams, James Otis, and others ...
built. * 1744 – Hospital active on Rainsford Island. * 1745 ** March: Military expedition sails from Boston to
Louisbourg Louisbourg is an unincorporated community and former town in Cape Breton Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia. History The French military founded the Fortress of Louisbourg in 1713 and its fortified seaport on the southwest part of the harbour, ...
. ** November 5: Unrest during Pope's Night. ** Bells installed in Christ Church. * 1747 – Impressment triggers
Knowles Riot The Knowles Riot, also known as the Impressment Riot of 1747, was a three-day riot in Boston that began on 17 November 1747, in response to the impressment of 46 Bostonians by Admiral Charles Knowles into the navy. Hundreds of mostly working-cla ...
. * 1748 –
Manufactory House The Manufactory House in Boston, Massachusetts, was a linen manufactory built in 1753 to provide employment for local women and girls. The business failed, and the building was rented out to various tenants. In 1768, it was the site of a standoff ...
established. * 1752 ** Smallpox epidemic. **
Concert Hall A concert hall is a cultural building with a stage that serves as a performance venue and an auditorium filled with seats. This list does not include other venues such as sports stadia, dramatic theatres or convention centres that may ...
built. * 1754 –
Boston Marine Society The Boston Marine Society (established 1742) is a charitable organization in Boston, Massachusetts, formed "to 'make navigation more safe' and to relieve members and their families in poverty or other 'adverse accidents in life.'" Membership general ...
incorporated. * 1755 – November 18: Cape Ann earthquake. * 1760 ** March 20: Great Boston Fire of 1760. ** Population: 15,631. * 1765 – Protest against Stamp Act. * 1768 **
Britain Britain most often refers to: * The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands * Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...
's American Customs Board headquartered in Boston. ** June 10:
Protest A protest (also called a demonstration, remonstration or remonstrance) is a public expression of objection, disapproval or dissent towards an idea or action, typically a political one. Protests can be thought of as acts of coopera ...
against customs officials. ** July: ''
The Liberty Song "The Liberty Song" is a pre-American Revolutionary War song with lyrics by Founding Father John Dickinson (not by Mrs. Mercy Otis Warren of Plymouth, Massachusetts). The song is set to the tunes of "Heart of Oak", the anthem of the Royal Navy of th ...
'' published. ** September: Massachusetts Convention of Towns held in Faneuil Hall. ** October: British troops begin to arrive.


1770s–1790s

* 1770 ** ''
Massachusetts Spy ''The Massachusetts Spy'', later subtitled the '' Worcester Gazette'', (est.1770) was a newspaper published by Isaiah Thomas in Boston and in Worcester, Massachusetts, in the 18th century. It was a heavily political weekly paper that was constan ...
'' newspaper begins publication. ** March 5:
Boston Massacre The Boston Massacre (known in Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain as the Incident on King Street) was a confrontation in Boston on March 5, 1770, in which a group of nine British soldiers shot five people out of a crowd of three or four hu ...
. * 1772 **
Committee of correspondence The committees of correspondence were, prior to the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, a collection of American political organizations that sought to coordinate opposition to British Parliament and, later, support for American independe ...
formed. ** '' Boston Pamphlet'' (rights declaration) published. * 1773 ** Hutchinson Letters Affair. ** December 16:
Boston Tea Party The Boston Tea Party was an American political and mercantile protest by the Sons of Liberty in Boston, Massachusetts, on December 16, 1773. The target was the Tea Act of May 10, 1773, which allowed the British East India Company to sell tea ...
. * 1774 ** January: ''
Royal American Magazine ''The Royal American Magazine, or Universal Repository of Instruction and Amusement'' (January 1774 – March 1775) was a short-lived monthly periodical published in Boston, Massachusetts, by Isaiah Thomas and later by Joseph Greenleaf. It ...
'' begins publication. ** March 31: Boston Port Bill blocks trade. * 1775 ** April 19:
Siege of Boston The siege of Boston (April 19, 1775 – March 17, 1776) was the opening phase of the American Revolutionary War. New England militiamen prevented the movement by land of the British Army, which was garrisoned in what was then the peninsular town ...
begins. ** June 17:
Battle of Bunker Hill The Battle of Bunker Hill was fought on June 17, 1775, during the Siege of Boston in the first stage of the American Revolutionary War. The battle is named after Bunker Hill in Charlestown, Massachusetts, which was peripherally involved in ...
takes place near town. * 1776 – March 17: Siege of Boston
ends End, END, Ending, or variation, may refer to: End *In mathematics: **End (category theory) ** End (topology) **End (graph theory) ** End (group theory) (a subcase of the previous) **End (endomorphism) *In sports and games ** End (gridiron footbal ...
; British depart. * 1784 –
Massachusetts Bank BankBoston was a bank based in Boston, Massachusetts, which was created by the 1996 merger of Bank of Boston and BayBank. One of its predecessor banks started in 1784, but the merged BankBoston was short-lived, being acquired by Fleet Bank in 199 ...
founded. * 1785 –
Massachusetts Humane Society Captain Joshua James, volunteer The Humane Society of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, better known as the Massachusetts Humane Society was founded in 1786 by a group of Boston citizens who were concerned about the needless deaths resulting ...
headquartered in Boston. * 1786 – Charles River Bridge built. * 1787 ** April: Fire. ** October 18:
Massachusetts General Court The Massachusetts General Court (formally styled the General Court of Massachusetts) is the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The name "General Court" is a hold-over from the earliest days of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, ...
receives
U.S. Constitution The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, in 1789. Originally comprising seven articles, it delineates the natio ...
. ** African Masonic lodge active. * 1788 ** January 9: Massachusetts convention to ratify U.S. Constitution begins at State House. ** January 17: Convention to ratify U.S. Constitution moves to Federal Street Church. ** February 6: Delegates ratify U.S. Constitution; Boston becomes part of the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...
. ** February 8: Parade in honor of ratification of U.S. Constitution. * 1789 **
William Hill Brown William Hill Brown (November 1765 – September 2, 1793) was an American novelist, the author of what is usually considered the first American novel, ''The Power of Sympathy'' (1789), and "Harriot, or the Domestic Reconciliation", as well as th ...
's ''The Power of Sympathy'' published. ** ''
Boston Directory ''The Boston Directory'' of Boston, Massachusetts, was first published in 1789. It contained "a list of the merchants, mechanics, traders, and others, of the town of Boston; in order to enable strangers to find the residence of any person." Also ...
'' and ''
Massachusetts Magazine The ''Massachusetts Magazine'' was published in Boston, Massachusetts, from 1789 through 1796. Also called the ''Monthly Museum of Knowledge and Rational Entertainment,'' it specialized in "poetry, music, biography, history, physics, geography, mo ...
'' begin publication. * 1790 ** Memorial column erected atop Beacon Hill. ** Population: 18,320. * 1791 –
Massachusetts Historical Society The Massachusetts Historical Society is a major historical archive specializing in early American, Massachusetts, and New England history. The Massachusetts Historical Society was established in 1791 and is located at 1154 Boylston Street in Bost ...
founded. * 1792 ** Board Alley Theatre opens. **
Boston Library Society The Boston Library Society was an American subscription library established in New England's pre-eminent city, Boston, during 1792. Early subscribers included Revolutionary War figures Paul Revere and William Tudor. The society existed until 193 ...
established. ** J. & T.H. Perkins shipping merchant in business. * 1793 – West Boston Bridge opens. * 1794 **
Julien's Restorator Julien's Restorator (c. 1793–1823) was a restaurant in Boston, Massachusetts, established by French-born Jean Baptiste Gilbert Payplat dis Julien.Andrew F. Smith, ed. The Oxford companion to American food and drink. Oxford University Press US, 2 ...
opens on Milk Street. ** February 3:
Federal Street Theatre The Federal Street Theatre (1793–1852), also known as the Boston Theatre, was located at the corner of Federal and Franklin streets in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It was "the first building erected purposely for theatrical entertainmen ...
opening performance. * 1795 ** Columbian Museum and
Massachusetts Charitable Mechanic Association The Massachusetts Charitable Mechanic Association (est.1795) of Boston, Massachusetts, was "formed for the sole purposes of promoting the mechanic arts and extending the practice of benevolence." Founders included Paul Revere, Jonathan Hunnewell, ...
established. **
Mount Vernon Proprietors Mount Vernon Proprietors was a real estate development syndicate operating in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded at the end of the 18th century, it developed land on the south slope of Beacon Hill into a desirable residential neighborhood. History In ...
in business. **
Tontine Crescent Franklin Place, designed by Charles Bulfinch and built in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1793–95, included a row of sixteen three-story brick townhouses that extended in a 480-foot curve, a small garden, and four double houses. Constructed early in Bu ...
built. * 1796 **
Haymarket Theatre The Theatre Royal Haymarket (also known as Haymarket Theatre or the Little Theatre) is a West End theatre on Haymarket in the City of Westminster which dates back to 1720, making it the third-oldest London playhouse still in use. Samuel Foote ...
, African Society, and Boston Medical Dispensary established. ** Otis House built in West End. * 1797 – October 21: ship launched. * 1798 –
Massachusetts State House The Massachusetts State House, also known as the Massachusetts Statehouse or the New State House, is the List of state capitols in the United States, state capitol and seat of government for the Massachusetts, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, lo ...
built on Beacon Hill. * 1799 – Board of Health created. * 1800 – Population: 24,937.


19th century


1800s–1840s

* 1801 – Almshouse built on Leverett Street. * 1803 **
Boston Female Asylum The Boston Female Asylum (1800–1910) was an orphanage in Boston, Massachusetts, "for the care of indigent girls."U.S. Bureau of the Census. Benevolent institutions, 1904; p.78 Its mission was to "receive ... protect ... and instruct ... female orp ...
incorporated. ** Holy Cross Church built. * 1804 ** Anthology Club,
Social Law Library The Social Law Library, founded in 1803, is the second oldest law library in the United States. It is located in the John Adams Courthouse at Pemberton Square in Boston, Massachusetts, the same building which houses the Massachusetts Supreme Ju ...
, and Market Museum established. ** Nichols house built. ** Union Circulating Library in business. * 1805 ** Ice merchant F. Tudor in business. **
Boston Medical Library The Boston Medical Library (est. 1875) of Boston, Massachusetts, was originally organized to alleviate the problem that had emerged due to the scattered distribution of medical texts throughout the city. It has evolved into the "largest academic ...
established. * 1806 –
African Meeting House The African Meeting House, also known variously as First African Baptist Church, First Independent Baptist Church and the Belknap Street Church, was built in 1806 and is now the oldest black church edifice still standing in the United States. It ...
and Old West Church built. * 1807 **
Boston Athenæum The Boston Athenaeum is one of the oldest independent libraries in the United States. It is also one of a number of subscription library, membership libraries, for which patrons pay a yearly subscription fee to use Athenaeum services. The instit ...
founded. **
Charles Street Meeting House The Charles Street Meeting House is an early-nineteenth-century historic church in Beacon Hill at 70 Charles Street, Boston, Massachusetts. The church has been used over its history by several Christian denominations, including Baptists, the ...
built. * 1808 – Roman Catholic diocese of Boston established; John Cheverus becomes bishop. * 1809 – Craigie Bridge opens. * 1810 **
American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions The American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM) was among the first American Christian missionary organizations. It was created in 1810 by recent graduates of Williams College. In the 19th century it was the largest and most imp ...
headquartered in Boston. **
Boylston Market Boylston Market (1810-1887), designed by architect Charles Bulfinch, was located in Boston, Massachusetts, on the corner of Boylston and Washington Streets. Boylston Hall occupied the third floor of the building, and functioned as a performance a ...
and
Park Street Church Park Street Church, founded in 1804, is a historic and active evangelical congregational megachurch in Downtown Boston, Massachusetts. The Park Street Church is a member of the Conservative Congregational Christian Conference. Typical attendance a ...
built. ** Philharmonic Society established (approximate date). ** Bryant & Sturgis shipping merchants in business. * 1811 –
Massachusetts General Hospital Massachusetts General Hospital (Mass General or MGH) is the original and largest teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School located in the West End neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. It is the third oldest general hospital in the United Stat ...
and Boston Lyceum for the Education of Young Ladies established. * 1812 – Fragment Society founded. * 1813 – ''
Boston Daily Advertiser The ''Boston Daily Advertiser'' (est. 1813) was the first daily newspaper in Boston, and for many years the only daily paper in Boston. History The ''Advertiser'' was established in 1813, and in March 1814 it was purchased by journalist Nathan ...
'' begins publication. * 1814 –
Linnaean Society of New England The Linnaean Society of New England (1814–1822) was established in Boston, Massachusetts, to promote natural history. The society organized a natural history museum and also arranged lectures and excursions for its members. In 1817 it became invo ...
established. * 1815 **
Handel and Haydn Society The Handel and Haydn Society is an American chorus and period instrument orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts. Known colloquially as 'H+H', the organization has been in continual performance since its founding in 1815, the longest-serving suc ...
founded. ** May: ''
North American Review The ''North American Review'' (NAR) was the first literary magazine in the United States. It was founded in Boston in 1815 by journalist Nathan Hale and others. It was published continuously until 1940, after which it was inactive until revived a ...
'' begins publication. * 1816 – Provident Institution for Savings established. * 1818 ** New-England Museum opens. ** November 3: Exchange Coffee House burns down. ** Methodist Episcopal Church established. **
Annin & Smith Annin & Smith (c. 1818-1837) was an engraving firm in Boston, Massachusetts, in the 19th century, established by William B. Annin and George Girdler Smith. The firm kept offices on Court Street and Cornhill.Boston Directory. 1832 References F ...
in business (approximate date). * 1819 – Cathedral Church of St. Paul built. * 1820 – Mercantile Library Association established. * 1821 ** English Classical School established. **
Doggett's Repository of Arts Doggett's Repository of Arts (c. 1821-1825) was an art gallery in Boston, Massachusetts, located at 16 Market Street. Its proprietor, John Doggett, was a gilder and framer with a retail shop near the gallery (nos.18 and 20 Market Street). The g ...
opens (approximate date). * 1822 ** Boston incorporated as a city. **
Leverett Street Jail The Leverett Street Jail (1822–1851) in Boston, Massachusetts served as the city and county prison for some three decades in the mid-19th century. Inmates included John White Webster. Notorious for its overcrowding, the facility closed in 1851, w ...
opens;
old jail Old or OLD may refer to: Places *Old, Baranya, Hungary *Old, Northamptonshire, England * Old Street station, a railway and tube station in London (station code OLD) *OLD, IATA code for Old Town Municipal Airport and Seaplane Base, Old Town, Ma ...
closes. ** May 1: John Phillips becomes mayor. * 1823 **
Chickering and Sons Chickering & Sons was an American piano manufacturer located in Boston, Massachusetts. The company was founded in 1823 by Jonas Chickering and James Stewart, but the partnership dissolved four years later. By 1830 Jonas Chickering became partne ...
piano manufacturer in business. **
Josiah Quincy III Josiah Quincy III (; February 4, 1772 – July 1, 1864) was an American educator and political figure. He was a member of the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives (1805–1813), mayor of Boston (1823–1828), an ...
becomes mayor. ** City seal design adopted. * 1824 ** City auditor established. ** Area of city: 783 acres. * 1825 **
Pendleton's Lithography Pendleton's Lithography (1825–1836) was a Lithography, lithographic print studio in 19th-century Boston, Massachusetts, established by brothers William S. Pendleton (1795-1879) and John B. Pendleton (1798-1866). Though relatively short-lived ...
in business. **
American Unitarian Association The American Unitarian Association (AUA) was a religious denomination in the United States and Canada, formed by associated Unitarian congregations in 1825. In 1961, it consolidated with the Universalist Church of America to form the Unitarian Uni ...
organized and headquartered in city. * 1826 **
Massachusetts General Colored Association The Massachusetts General Colored Association was organized in Boston in 1826 to combat slavery and racism. The Association was an early supporter of William Lloyd Garrison. Its influence spread locally and was realized within New England when they ...
and House of Juvenile Reformation established. **
Quincy Market Quincy Market is a historic building near Faneuil Hall in downtown Boston, Massachusetts. It was constructed between 1824 and 1826 and named in honor of mayor Josiah Quincy, who organized its construction without any tax or debt. The market is ...
built. ** Atwood & Bacon Oyster House in business. * 1827 ** September 24: Tremont Theatre opens. ** Boston Seaman's Friend Society organized. ** dancing school in business. * 1829 **
Boston Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge The Boston Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge (est. 1829) in Boston, Massachusetts, was founded "to promote and direct popular education by lectures and other means." Modelled after the recently formed Society for the Diffusion of Useful ...
and
Boston Lyceum The Boston Lyceum (est.1829) of Boston, Massachusetts was a civic association dedicated to popular education in the form of "lectures, discussions, ... declamation," and writing contests. It began "in Chauncy Hall on . On 13 August 1829 it formed it ...
established. ** Harrison Gray Otis becomes mayor. ** Tremont House built. ** Walker's '' An Appeal to the Colored Citizens of the World'' published. * 1830 **
Boston Society of Natural History The Boston Society of Natural History (1830–1948) in Boston, Massachusetts, was an organization dedicated to the study and promotion of natural history. It published a scholarly journal and established a museum. In its first few decades, the s ...
established. ** July 24: ''
Boston Evening Transcript The ''Boston Evening Transcript'' was a daily afternoon newspaper in Boston, Massachusetts, published from July 24, 1830, to April 30, 1941. Beginnings ''The Transcript'' was founded in 1830 by Henry Dutton and James Wentworth of the firm of D ...
'' begins publication. ** Population: 61,392. * 1831 ** '' The Liberator'' and ''
The Boston Post ''The Boston Post'' was a daily newspaper in New England for over a hundred years before it folded in 1956. The ''Post'' was founded in November 1831 by two prominent Boston businessmen, Charles G. Greene and William Beals. Edwin Grozier bough ...
'' begin publication. **
New England Anti-Slavery Society The Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society, headquartered in Boston, was organized as an auxiliary of the American Anti-Slavery Society in 1835. Its roots were in the New England Anti-Slavery Society, organized by William Lloyd Garrison, editor of ...
established. ** S.S. Pierce in business. * 1832 ** Boston Lying-In Hospital and Afric-American Female Intelligence Society established. ** Charles Wells becomes mayor. * 1833 ** ''
The Boston Journal ''The Boston Journal'' was a daily newspaper published in Boston, Massachusetts, from 1833 until October 1917 when it was merged with the ''Boston Herald''. The paper was originally an evening paper called the ''Evening Mercantile Journal''. When ...
'' newspaper begins publication. **
Boston Female Anti-Slavery Society The Boston Female Anti-Slavery Society (1833–1840) was an abolitionist, interracial organization in Boston, Massachusetts, in the mid-19th century. "During its brief history ... it orchestrated three national women's conventions, organized a mult ...
, Boston Seaman's Aid Society, and
East Boston East Boston, nicknamed Eastie, is a neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts annexed by the city of Boston in 1637. Neighboring communities include Winthrop, Revere, and Chelsea. It is separated from the Boston neighborhood of Charlestown and do ...
Company founded. ** Harding's Gallery active (approximate date). * 1834 **
Parker Parker may refer to: Persons * Parker (given name) * Parker (surname) Places Place names in the United States *Parker, Arizona *Parker, Colorado * Parker, Florida * Parker, Idaho * Parker, Kansas * Parker, Missouri * Parker, North Carolina *Park ...
& Ditson and
Boston Sugar Refinery The Boston Sugar Refinery was a sugar refinery based in East Boston, Massachusetts, United States. The refinery was established in 1834, and in 1860 it was credited as the first refinery to create granulated sugar. Additionally, it was the first ...
(East Boston) in business. ** Temple School opens. **
Theodore Lyman Theodore Lyman may refer to: * Theodore B. Lyman (1815–1893), American bishop * Theodore Lyman II (1792–1849), American philanthropist, politician, and author * Theodore Lyman III (1833–1897), American natural scientist, military staff offic ...
becomes mayor. ** Thompson Island becomes part of Boston. * 1835 –
Abiel Smith School Abiel Smith School, founded in 1835, is a school located at 46 Joy Street in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, adjacent to the African Meeting House. It is named for Abiel Smith, a white philanthropist who left money (an estimated $4,000) in hi ...
and American House (hotel) founded. **
William Lloyd Garrison William Lloyd Garrison (December , 1805 – May 24, 1879) was a prominent American Christian, abolitionist, journalist, suffragist, and social reformer. He is best known for his widely read antislavery newspaper '' The Liberator'', which he found ...
attacked by anti-abolitionist mob. * 1836 **
East Boston East Boston, nicknamed Eastie, is a neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts annexed by the city of Boston in 1637. Neighboring communities include Winthrop, Revere, and Chelsea. It is separated from the Boston neighborhood of Charlestown and do ...
annexed to Boston. ** ''
Boston Pilot ''The Pilot'' is the official newspaper of the Archdiocese of Boston and claims the title of "America's Oldest Catholic Newspaper", having been in continuous publication since its first issue on September 5, 1829. Although the first Catholic new ...
'' Catholic newspaper in publication. ** National Theatre and Lion Theatre open. ** Chamber of Commerce established. ** Samuel Turell Armstrong becomes mayor. ** Abolition Riot of 1836 * 1837 ** June 11:
Broad Street Riot The Broad Street Riot was a massive brawl that occurred in Boston, Massachusetts, on June 11, 1837, between Irish Americans and Yankee firefighters. An estimated 800 people were involved in the actual fighting, with at least 10,000 spectators egg ...
. ** September 12:
Montgomery Guards The Montgomery Guards were an Irish-American militia company that formed in Boston in 1837 and were forced to disband the following year due to extreme nativist and anti-Catholic sentiment in the city. On September 12, 1837, at the annual fall m ...
Riot. ** Samuel Atkins Eliot becomes mayor. **
Harvard Musical Association The Harvard Musical Association is a private charitable organization founded by Harvard University graduates in 1837 for the purposes of advancing musical culture and literacy, both at the university and in the city of Boston. Though initially a s ...
organized. * 1838 – African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church established. * 1839 **
Lowell Institute The Lowell Institute is a United States educational foundation located in Boston, Massachusetts, providing both free public lectures, and also advanced lectures. It was endowed by a bequest of $250,000 left by John Lowell Jr., who died in 1836. ...
lectures begin. **
Melodeon Melodeon may refer to: * Melodeon (accordion), a type of button accordion *Melodeon (organ), a type of 19th-century reed organ *Melodeon (Boston, Massachusetts), a concert hall in 19th-century Boston * Melodeon Records, a U.S. record label in the ...
opens. ** City lunatic asylum established. * 1840 ** Friends of Ireland society founded. ** Durgin-Park restaurant and Peabody's West Street Bookstore in business. **
Cunard Cunard () is a British shipping and cruise line based at Carnival House at Southampton, England, operated by Carnival UK and owned by Carnival Corporation & plc. Since 2011, Cunard and its three ships have been registered in Hamilton, Berm ...
's steamship ''
Britannia Britannia () is the national personification of Britain as a helmeted female warrior holding a trident and shield. An image first used in classical antiquity, the Latin ''Britannia'' was the name variously applied to the British Isles, Great ...
'' sails from
Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
to Boston. ** Population: 93,383. ** Jonathan Chapman becomes mayor. * 1841 **
Boston and Albany Railroad The Boston and Albany Railroad was a railroad connecting Boston, Massachusetts to Albany, New York, later becoming part of the New York Central Railroad system, Conrail, and CSX Transportation. The line is currently used by CSX for freight. Pass ...
in operation. ** Boston Museum, Boston Artists' Association, and Plumbe's photo gallery established. **
Probation Probation in criminal law is a period of supervision over an offender, ordered by the court often in lieu of incarceration. In some jurisdictions, the term ''probation'' applies only to community sentences (alternatives to incarceration), such ...
for prisoners introduced. * 1842 – Merchants Exchange built. * 1843 **
Tremont Temple The Tremont Temple on 88 Tremont Street is a Baptist church in Boston, affiliated with the American Baptist Churches, USA. The existing multi-storey, Renaissance Revival structure was designed by architect Clarence Blackall of Boston, and opene ...
established. ** Martin Brimmer becomes mayor. * 1844 **
Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
-Boston "White Diamond Line" begins operating. **
Phillips School The Phillips School was a 19th-century school located in Beacon Hill, Boston, Massachusetts. It is now a private residence. It is on the Black Heritage Trail and its history is included in walking tours by the Boston African American National ...
established. * 1845 ** Chinese Museum,
Howard Athenaeum The Howard Athenæum (1845–1953), also known as Old Howard Theatre, in Boston, Massachusetts, was one of the most famous theaters in Boston history. Founded in 1845, it remained an institution of culture and learning for most of its years, fina ...
, and
New England Historic Genealogical Society The New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS) is the oldest and largest genealogical society in the United States, founded in 1845. NEHGS provides family history services through its staff, original scholarship, website,Horticultural Hall built. ** William Parker becomes mayor, succeeded by
Thomas Aspinwall Davis Thomas Aspinwall Davis (December 11, 1798 – November 22, 1845) was a silversmith and businessman who served as mayor of Boston for nine months in 1845. Early life Davis was born on December 11, 1798, in Brookline, Massachusetts, the son of E ...
, Benson Leavitt, and Josiah Quincy Jr. **
McKay McKay, MacKay or Mackay is a Scottish / Irish surname. The last phoneme in the name is traditionally pronounced to rhyme with 'eye', but in some parts of the world this has come to rhyme with 'hey'. In Scotland, it corresponds to Clan Mackay. Not ...
shipbuilder in business in East Boston. * 1846 ** October 16: First public demonstration of the use of inhaled ether as a surgical anesthetic,
Ether Dome The Ether Dome is a surgical operating amphitheater in the Bulfinch Building at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. It served as the hospital's operating room from its opening in 1821 until 1867. It was the site of the first public demonstr ...
. ** J.B. Fitzpatrick becomes Catholic bishop of Boston. **
John P. Jewett John Punchard Jewett (1814–1884) was a Boston publisher, best known for first publishing ''Uncle Tom's Cabin'' in book form in 1852. Jewett was a brother of librarian Charles Coffin Jewett. Jewett started a business in Boston publishing textbooks ...
bookseller in business. * 1847 ** City Point Iron Works, Bay State Iron Company, and
Little, Brown and Company Little, Brown and Company is an American publishing company founded in 1837 by Charles Coffin Little and James Brown in Boston. For close to two centuries it has published fiction and nonfiction by American authors. Early lists featured Emily ...
publisher in business. ** Irish Immigrant Society and Needle Woman's Friend Society established. * 1848 ** October 25: Water celebration. **
C.F. Hovey and Co. Charles Fox Hovey (1807–1859) was a businessman in Boston, Massachusetts who established C.F. Hovey and Co., a department store on Summer Street. Through the years Hovey's business partners included Washington Williams, James H. Bryden, Richard ...
in business. ** Ladies Physiological Institute founded. * 1849 **
Custom House A custom house or customs house was traditionally a building housing the offices for a jurisdictional government whose officials oversaw the functions associated with importing and exporting goods into and out of a country, such as collecting c ...
built. ** November 23:
Beacon Hill Reservoir The Beacon Hill Reservoir (1849-c. 1880) in Boston, Massachusetts provided water to Beacon Hill from Lake Cochituate. It could hold .Boston Auditing Dept. Annual report for 1875–1876 By 1876, the reservoir no longer distributed water, but rather ...
opens. ** Mendelssohn Quintette Club founded. ** John P. Bigelow becomes mayor.


1850s–1890s

* 1850 **
Parkman–Webster murder case After Boston businessman George Parkman disappeared in November 1849, his dismembered and partially burned body was found in the laboratory of John Webster, a lecturer at Harvard Medical College; Webster was convicted of Parkman's murder and hange ...
. ** Fetridge and Company in business. ** ''
Roberts v. City of Boston ''Roberts v. Boston'', Case citation, 59 Mass. (5 Cush.) 198 (1850), was a court case seeking to end racial discrimination in Boston public schools. The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled in favor of Boston, finding no constitutional basi ...
'' racial segregation lawsuit decided. * 1851 **
Charles Street Jail The Charles Street Jail (built 1851), also known as the Suffolk County Jail, is an infamous former jail (later renovated into a luxury hotel) located at 215 Charles Street, Boston, Massachusetts. It is listed in the state and national Registers o ...
built. ** ''
Gleason's Pictorial Drawing-Room Companion ''Gleason's Pictorial Drawing-Room Companion'' was a 19th-century illustrated periodical published in Boston, Massachusetts from 1851–1859. The magazine was founded by Frederick Gleason in 1851. The publication name was changed to ''Ballou's ...
'' begins publication. ** September 17–19: Railroad Jubilee * 1852 ** February 9: Ordway Hall opens. ** October 24:
Daniel Webster Daniel Webster (January 18, 1782 – October 24, 1852) was an American lawyer and statesman who represented New Hampshire and Massachusetts in the U.S. Congress and served as the U.S. Secretary of State under Presidents William Henry Harrison, ...
dies. ** ''
Sovereign of the Seas ''Sovereign of the Seas'' may refer to one of these ships: * , an English Royal Navy warship of 102 guns; later renamed ''Sovereign'' and ''Royal Sovereign'' * ''Sovereign of the Seas'' (clipper), an 1852 clipper ship built by Donald McKay in Bos ...
'' (clipper ship) launched. ** Mount Hope Cemetery consecrated. ** Orpheum Theatre built. ** Sailors' Snug Harbor of Boston incorporated. **
Somerset Club The Somerset Club is a private social club in Boston, Massachusetts, founded perhaps as early as 1826. It is a center of Boston Brahmin families - New England's upper class - and is known as one of the big four clubs in the country, the other th ...
established. **
Benjamin Seaver Benjamin Seaver (April 12, 1795 – February 14, 1856) was an American politician, serving as the thirteenth mayor of Boston, Massachusetts from January 5, 1852 to January 2, 1854.CCC Boston, 1822-1908, pp. 241-244. Early life Seaver was ...
becomes mayor. * 1853 **
Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...
-Boston horsecar line established. ** Henry Hastings & Company in business. * 1854 ** Jerome V. C. Smith becomes mayor. ** Boston Watch and Police ceased, and Boston Police Department came into being. **
Boston Public Library The Boston Public Library is a municipal public library system in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, founded in 1848. The Boston Public Library is also the Library for the Commonwealth (formerly ''library of last recourse'') of the Commonweal ...
, Adath Israel synagogue, and
Boston Theatre :''See Federal Street Theatre for an earlier theatre known also as the Boston Theatre'' The Boston Theatre was a theatre in Boston, Massachusetts. It was first built in 1854 and operated as a theatre until 1925. Productions included performances by ...
open. **
Boston Art Club The Boston Art Club, Boston, Massachusetts, serves to help its members, as well as non-members, to access the world of fine art. It currently has more than 250 members. History The Boston Art Club was first conceived in Boston in 1854 with the co ...
founded. **
Ticknor and Fields Ticknor and Fields was an American publishing company based in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded as a bookstore in 1832, the business would publish many 19th century American authors including Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Henry James, ...
publishers in business. ** May: Anthony Burns arrested; abolitionist unrest ensues. ** July: City Regatta begins. * 1855 ** Massachusetts Homoeopathic Hospital established. **
Parker House Parker may refer to: Persons * Parker (given name) * Parker (surname) Places Place names in the United States *Parker, Arizona *Parker, Colorado * Parker, Florida * Parker, Idaho *Parker, Kansas * Parker, Missouri * Parker, North Carolina *Parke ...
hotel and
Williams & Everett Williams & Everett (est.1855) in Boston, Massachusetts, was an art dealership run by Henry Dudley Williams and William Everett. The firm sold original artworks by American and European artists, as well as "photographs and carbon-pictures of eminen ...
in business. * 1856 – Alexander H. Rice becomes mayor. * 1857 ** State Street Block built. ** November 1: ''
Atlantic Monthly ''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher. It features articles in the fields of politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science. It was founded in 1857 in Boston, ...
'' begins publication. * 1858 ** Frederic W. Lincoln becomes mayor. ** ''
Der Pionier ''Der Pionier'' ( en, The Pioneer) was one of two official organs of the radical socialist Free Association of German Trade Unions (FVdG). With its founding in 1897, the FVdG also started the newspaper ''Einigkeit'' (''Unity'') as its official o ...
'' German-language newspaper in publication. ** Area of city: 1,801 acres. * 1859 ** August: New England Colored Citizens' Convention held in city. **
Boston Aquarial Gardens __NOTOC__ The Boston Aquarial Gardens (1859-1860) was a public aquarium in Boston, Massachusetts, established by James Ambrose Cutting and Henry D Butler. The "conservatories erefilled with rare marine animals imported and collected exclusively ...
open. * 1860 ** Public Garden and
Gibson house Gibson House is a historical museum in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located on Yonge Street, in the North York Centre neighbourhood of the former city of North York. History The property was first acquired by David Gibson, a Scottish immi ...
built. **
Old Feather Store The Old Feather Store (1680–1860) was a shop located at Dock Square and North Street (formerly Ann Street) in Boston, Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhs ...
demolished. ** October 18:
Edward VII of the United Kingdom Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910. The second child and eldest son of Queen Victoria an ...
visits Boston. ** Young's Hotel in business. ** Population: 177,840. * 1861 ** Arlington Street Church and Studio Building constructed. ** Emmanuel Church established. **
Jordan Marsh Jordan Marsh (officially Jordan Marsh & Company) was an American department store chain that was headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, and operated throughout New England. It was founded by Eben Dyer Jordan and Benjamin L. Marsh in 1841. The o ...
opens. ** Joseph Wightman becomes mayor. * 1862 – Boston Educational Commission and
Oneida Football Club The Oneida Football Club, founded and captained by Gerrit Smith Miller in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1862, was the first organized team to play any kind of football in the United States.National Theatre burns down. ** May 28: 54th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry departs for South Carolina. ** July 14: Protest against
draft Draft, The Draft, or Draught may refer to: Watercraft dimensions * Draft (hull), the distance from waterline to keel of a vessel * Draft (sail), degree of curvature in a sail * Air draft, distance from waterline to the highest point on a vesse ...
. **
Boston College Boston College (BC) is a private Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Founded in 1863, the university has more than 9,300 full-time undergraduates and nearly 5,000 graduate students. Although Boston College is classifie ...
, Boston Children's Aid Society and
Union Club of Boston __NOTOC__ The Union Club of Boston, founded in 1863, is one of the oldest gentlemen's clubs in the United States. It is located on Beacon Hill, adjacent to the Massachusetts State House. The clubhouse at No. 7 and No. 8 Park Street was origi ...
established. **
Hancock Manor The Hancock Manor was a house located at 30 Beacon Street on Beacon Hill, Boston, Massachusetts. It stood near the southwest corner of what are today the grounds of the Massachusetts State House. Description The Manor was built between 1734 and 17 ...
demolished. ** Frederic W. Lincoln becomes mayor again. * 1864 **
New England Museum of Natural History New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator ...
built. **
Boston City Hospital The Boston City Hospital (1864–1996), in Boston, Massachusetts, was a public hospital, located in the South End. It was "intended for the use and comfort of poor patients, to whom medical care will be provided at the expense of the city, and . ...
opens. ** De Vries, Ibarra & Co. in business (approximate date). * 1865 **
City Hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or a municipal building (in the Philippines), is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses ...
and Horticultural Hall built. **
Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the ...
opens. **
Ropes & Gray Ropes & Gray LLP is a global law firm with 13 offices located in the United States, Asia and Europe. The firm has more than 1,500 lawyers and professionals worldwide, and its clients include corporations and financial institutions, government agen ...
in business. ** ''Bostoner Zeitung'' German-language newspaper begins publication. * 1867 **
New England Conservatory The New England Conservatory of Music (NEC) is a private music school in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the oldest independent music conservatory in the United States and among the most prestigious in the world. The conservatory is located on Hu ...
and Boston Society of Architects established. **
YWCA Boston The Boston Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) (est.1866) was founded in Boston, Massachusetts, "to aid the young working-women of Boston, without regard to their religious belief." It was incorporated in 1867 by Pauline A. Durant, Ann Mari ...
incorporated. **
Otis Norcross Otis C. Norcross (November 2, 1811 – September 5, 1882) served as the nineteenth Mayor of Boston, Massachusetts, from January 7, 1867 to January 6, 1868 during the Reconstruction era of the United States. Norcross was a candidate (1861) for th ...
becomes mayor. ** December: Charles Dickens kicks off his second and final American reading tour at Tremont Temple * 1868 ** Roxbury annexed to Boston. **
Boston Lyceum Bureau __NOTOC__ The Boston Lyceum Bureau (est.1868) in Boston, Massachusetts, was a project of James Redpath and George L. Fall. Its office stood at no.36 Bromfield Street. "Through its agency, many ... lecturers and authors of celebrity have been intr ...
established. ** August 20: Chinese embassy visits Boston. ** Woman's Board of Missions headquartered in Boston. **
Nathaniel B. Shurtleff Nathaniel Bradstreet Shurtleff, Sr. (June 22, 1810 – October 17, 1874) was an American politician, serving as the twentieth mayor of Boston, Massachusetts from January 6, 1868 to January 2, 1871. Shurtleff, who had been defeated as the K ...
becomes mayor. * 1869 ** June 15:
National Peace Jubilee The National Peace Jubilee was a celebration that commemorated the end of the American Civil War, organized by Patrick Gilmore in Boston from June 15-19, 1869. It featured an orchestra and a chorus, as well as numerous soloists. More than 11,000 p ...
opens. **
Boston University Boston University (BU) is a private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. The university is nonsectarian, but has a historical affiliation with the United Methodist Church. It was founded in 1839 by Methodists with its original campu ...
chartered. **
Shreve, Crump & Low Shreve, Crump & Low, a Boston, Massachusetts business, is the oldest purveyor of luxury goods in North America, responsible for trophies such as the Davis Cup and the Cy Young Award.
,
Boston Musical Instrument Company The Boston Musical Instrument Company was an American manufacturer of brass band instruments in the late 19th and early 20th centuries located in Boston, Massachusetts. History Elbridge Wright was an apprentice to Samuel Graves at his original ...
, and Frost & Adams in business. **
Boston Children's Hospital Boston Children's Hospital formerly known as Children's Hospital Boston until 2012 is a nationally ranked, freestanding acute care children's hospital located in Boston, Massachusetts, adjacent both to its teaching affiliate, Harvard Medical Scho ...
, Horace Mann School for the Deaf, and Evening High School established. ** American Woman Suffrage Association headquartered in city. * 1870 ** Dorchester annexed to Boston. ** ''
Woman's Journal ''Woman's Journal'' was an American women's rights periodical published from 1870 to 1931. It was founded in 1870 in Boston, Massachusetts, by Lucy Stone and her husband Henry Browne Blackwell as a weekly newspaper. In 1917 it was purchased by ...
'' begins publication. ** Population: 250,526. * 1871 ** May 16:
South End Grounds South End Grounds refers to any one of three baseball parks on one site in Boston, Massachusetts. They were home to the franchise that eventually became known as the Boston Braves, first in the National Association and later in the National Le ...
open. **
Globe Theatre The Globe Theatre was a theatre in London associated with William Shakespeare. It was built in 1599 by Shakespeare's playing company, the Lord Chamberlain's Men, on land owned by Thomas Brend and inherited by his son, Nicholas Brend, and gra ...
and Apollo Club (chorus) established. **
William Gaston William J. Gaston (September 19, 1778 – January 23, 1844) was a jurist and United States Representative from North Carolina. Gaston is the author of the official state song of North Carolina, "The Old North State". Gaston County, North Carolin ...
becomes mayor. * 1872 ** Lauriat's bookshop in business. ** March 4: ''
The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...
'' newspaper begins publication. ** June 17:
World's Peace Jubilee and International Musical Festival The World's Peace Jubilee and International Musical Festival of 1872 took place in the Back Bay area of Boston, Massachusetts. Patrick Sarsfield Gilmore directed the festival, which lasted some 18 days. The jubilee honored the ending of the Fr ...
opens. ** November 9:
Great Boston Fire of 1872 The Great Boston Fire of 1872 was Boston's largest fire, and still ranks as one of the most costly fire-related property losses in American history. The conflagration began at 7:20 p.m. on Saturday, November 9, 1872, in the basement of a com ...
. * 1873 **
Old South Church Old South Church in Boston, Massachusetts, (also known as New Old South Church or Third Church) is a historic United Church of Christ congregation first organized in 1669. Its present building was designed in the Gothic Revival style by Charles ...
and St. Leonard's Church built. ** Brookline-Boston annexation debate of 1873. ** Massachusetts Normal Art School and Catholic Union of Boston founded. **
Henry L. Pierce Henry Lillie Pierce (August 23, 1825 – December 17, 1896) was a United States representative from Massachusetts. He was born in Stoughton. He attended the State normal school at Bridgewater, and was engaged in manufacturing. He served as May ...
becomes mayor, succeeded by Leonard R. Cutter. * 1874 **
Allston Allston is an officially recognized neighborhood within the City of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It was named after the American painter and poet Washington Allston. It comprises the land covered by the zip code 02134. For the most part ...
,
Brighton Brighton () is a seaside resort and one of the two main areas of the City of Brighton and Hove in the county of East Sussex, England. It is located south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze A ...
, Charlestown,
Jamaica Plain Jamaica Plain is a neighborhood of in the City of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Settled by Puritans seeking farmland to the south, it was originally part of the former Town of Roxbury, now also a part of the City of Boston. The commun ...
and
West Roxbury West Roxbury is a neighborhood in Boston, Massachusetts bordered by Roslindale and Jamaica Plain to the northeast, the town of Brookline to the north, the cities and towns of Newton and Needham to the northwest and the town of Dedham to the ...
annexed to Boston. ** Pastene's food shop in business. ** Samuel C. Cobb becomes mayor. * 1875 – Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Hayden Building constructed. * 1876 ** February 15:
Great Elm Great Elm is a village and Civil parishes in England, civil parish between Mells, Somerset, Mells and Frome in the Mendip District, Mendip district of Somerset, England. The parish includes the hamlet of Hapsford. History The name Great Elm was ...
felled by storm, Boston Common. ** July 4: Museum of Fine Arts opens on Art Square. **
Appalachian Mountain Club Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) is the oldest outdoor group in the United States. Created in 1876 to explore and preserve the White Mountains in New Hampshire, it has expanded throughout the northeastern U.S., with 12 chapters stretching from Ma ...
headquartered in city. ** Boston Merchants' Association and MIT Woman's Laboratory established. * 1877 ** April: A
telephone line A telephone line or telephone circuit (or just line or circuit industrywide) is a single-user circuit on a telephone communication system. It is designed to reproduce speech of a quality that is understandable. It is the physical wire or ot ...
connects Boston and
Somerville, Massachusetts Somerville ( ) is a city located directly to the northwest of Boston, and north of Cambridge, Massachusetts, Cambridge, in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a total population of 81, ...
. ** Trinity Church built. ** Marcella-Street Home opens. **
Women's Educational and Industrial Union The Women's Educational and Industrial Union (1877–2006) in Boston, Massachusetts, was founded by physician Harriet Clisby for the advancement of women and to help women and children in the industrial city. By 1893, chapters of the WEIU were estab ...
and
Footlight Club The Footlight Club is the oldest continuously-running community theater group in the United States of America, having performed every year since 1877. It is a non-profit organization, incorporated as such in 1927. Based in the Jamaica Plain neighb ...
(theatre group) founded. ** Frederick O. Prince becomes mayor. * 1878 ** Gaiety Theatre opens. ** New England Society for the Suppression of Vice founded. **
Henry L. Pierce Henry Lillie Pierce (August 23, 1825 – December 17, 1896) was a United States representative from Massachusetts. He was born in Stoughton. He attended the State normal school at Bridgewater, and was engaged in manufacturing. He served as May ...
becomes mayor again. ** Horatio J. Homer, Boston's first black police officer, is hired. * 1879 **
Boston Cooking School The Boston Cooking School was founded in 1879 by the Women’s Education Association of BostonNot to be confused with the Women's Educational and Industrial Union. "to offer instruction in cooking to those who wished to earn their livelihood as cook ...
, Massachusetts Bicycle Club, New England Manufacturers' and Mechanics' Institute,
Copley Society of Art The Copley Society of art is America's oldest non-profit art association. It was founded in 1879 by the first graduating class of the School of the Museum of Fine Arts and continues to play an important role in promoting its member artists and th ...
, Irish Athletic Club, and Park Theatre established. ** Frederick O. Prince becomes mayor again. * 1880 ** September 17: 250th anniversary of settlement of Boston. ** Boston Conservatory of Elocution, Oratory, and Dramatic Art founded. ** Population: 362,839. * 1881 –
Boston Symphony Orchestra The Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) is an American orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the second-oldest of the five major American symphony orchestras commonly referred to as the " Big Five". Founded by Henry Lee Higginson in 1881, ...
,
The Bostonian Society The Bostonian Society was a non-profit organization that was founded in 1881 for the purpose of preventing the Old State House (built in 1713) from being "moved brick by brick"
,
Filene's Filene's (formally William Filene & Sons Co.) was an American department store chain; it was founded by William Filene in 1881. The success of the original full-line store in Boston, Massachusetts, was supplemented by the foundation of its off-p ...
,
Boston Camera Club The Boston Camera Club is the leading amateur photographic organization in Boston, Massachusetts and vicinity. Founded in 1881, it offers activities of interest to amateur photographers, particularly digital photography. It meets weekly from Sept ...
, and Associated Charities of Boston established. * 1882 ** Bijou Theatre established. ** Whitman's ''
Leaves of Grass ''Leaves of Grass'' is a poetry collection by American poet Walt Whitman. Though it was first published in 1855, Whitman spent most of his professional life writing and rewriting ''Leaves of Grass'', revising it multiple times until his death. T ...
'' banned. ** Samuel Abbott Green becomes mayor. **
Long Island Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United Sta ...
becomes part of Boston. * 1883 ** Chickering Hall built. ** Albert Palmer becomes mayor. * 1884 ** August 4:
Thomas Stevens (cyclist) Thomas Stevens (24 December 1854
– 24 January 1935) was the first person to Oakland, California Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast of the United States, West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third ...
. **
Cyclorama Building Cyclorama Building may refer to: * Cyclorama Building (Boston), built in 1884 in Boston, Massachusetts * Atlanta Cyclorama & Civil War Museum, built in 1885 in Atlanta, Georgia *Cyclorama Building at Gettysburg The Cyclorama Building at Gettysb ...
built. ** Tavern Club founded. **
Augustus Pearl Martin Augustus Pearl Martin (November 23, 1835 – March 13, 1902) was an American politician and soldier from Massachusetts who served as the mayor of Boston, Massachusetts, in 1884. He also was a leading artillery officer in the Union Army during t ...
becomes mayor. ** Boston Ecclesiastical Seminary opens. * 1885 **
Boston Pops Orchestra The Boston Pops Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts, specializing in light classical and popular music. The orchestra's current music director is Keith Lockhart. Founded in 1885 as an offshoot of the Boston Symp ...
, North Bennet Street Industrial School, and
New England Woman's Press Association The New England Woman's Press Association (NEWPA) was founded by six Boston newspaper women in 1885 and incorporated in 1890. By the turn of the century it had over 150 members. NEWPA sought not only to bring female colleagues together and further ...
established. **
Hugh O'Brien Hugh O'Brien (July 13, 1827 – August 1, 1895) was the 31st mayor of Boston, from 1884 to 1888. O'Brien is notable as Boston's first Irish and Catholic mayor, having emigrated from Ireland to America in the early 1830s. O'Brien was the editor ...
becomes mayor. **
Boston Fruit Company The Boston Fruit Company (1885-1899) was a fruit production and import business based in the port of Boston, Massachusetts. Andrew W. Preston and nine others established the firm to ship bananas and other fruit from the West Indies to north-easte ...
(importer) in business. ** First Spiritual Temple built. ** Children's playground opens in the North End. * 1886 – June: New England Fair exhibition building burns down. * 1887 –
Forest Hills disaster The Forest Hills disaster (also called the Forest Ridge disaster and the Bussey Bridge train disaster) was a railroad bridge accident that occurred on March 14, 1887, in the Roslindale section of Boston Boston (), officially the City of ...
* 1888 ** Grand Opera House established. ** Sacred Heart Church built. ** Bellamy's fictional '' Looking Backward: 2000–1887'' published. * 1889 ** January 7: Thomas N. Hart becomes mayor. ** Tremont Theatre opens. ** Boston Architectural Club organized. ** Thomas N. Hart becomes mayor. * 1890 ** Boston Macaroni Company in business. ** College Club founded. ** ''Boston Courant'' newspaper begins publication. ** New England Kitchen begins operating. * 1891 ** Nathan Matthews Jr. becomes mayor. ** Columbia Theatre and Lend a Hand Society established. ** New Riding Club building constructed. * 1892 – Denison House (
settlement Settlement may refer to: *Human settlement, a community where people live *Settlement (structural), the distortion or disruption of parts of a building * Closing (real estate), the final step in executing a real estate transaction *Settlement (fin ...
) and North End Union founded. * 1893 ** Adams Courthouse built. **
Grundmann Studios Grundmann Studios (1893–1917) in Boston, Massachusetts, was a building on Clarendon Street in the Back Bay. It contained artist's workspaces and multipurpose function rooms Copley Hall and Allston Hall. Prior to 1893, it functioned as a s ...
and Mechanic Arts High School established. * 1894 **
The First Church of Christ, Scientist The First Church of Christ, Scientist is the administrative headquarters and mother church of the Church of Christ, Scientist, also known as the Christian Science church. Christian Science was founded in the 19th century in Lynn, Massachuset ...
built. ** Keith's Theatre and Epicurian Club of Boston established. **
Immigration Restriction League The Immigration Restriction League was an American nativist and anti-immigration organization founded by Charles Warren, Robert DeCourcy Ward, and Prescott F. Hall in 1894. According to Erika Lee, in 1894 the old stock Yankee upper-class founder ...
headquartered in city. * 1895 ** August:
First National Conference of the Colored Women of America The First National Conference of the Colored Women of America was a three-day conference in Boston organized by Josephine St. Pierre Ruffin, a civil rights leader and suffragist. In August 1895, representatives from 42 African-American women's club ...
held in Boston. ** Edwin Upton Curtis becomes mayor. **
Boston Public Library, McKim Building The McKim Building is the main branch of the Boston Public Library at Copley Square in Boston, Massachusetts. The building, described upon its 1895 opening as a "palace for the people", contains the library's research collection, exhibition rooms ...
built. * 1896 ** Steinert Hall built. ** Josiah Quincy becomes mayor. ** ''
Boston Cooking-School Cook Book The ''Boston Cooking-School Cook Book'' (1896) by Fannie Farmer is a 19th-century general reference cookbook which is still available both in reprint and in updated form. It was particularly notable for a more rigorous approach to recipe writing ...
'' published. ** Jamaica Plain Tuesday Club formed. * 1897 ** April 19:
Boston Marathon The Boston Marathon is an annual marathon race hosted by several cities and towns in greater Boston in eastern Massachusetts, United States. It is traditionally held on Patriots' Day, the third Monday of April. Begun in 1897, the event was i ...
begins. ** September 3: Park Street (MBTA station) opens. * 1898 – YMCA "Evening Institute for Younger Men" (precursor to
Northeastern University Northeastern University (NU) is a private university, private research university with its main campus in Boston. Established in 1898, the university offers undergraduate and graduate programs on its main campus as well as satellite campuses in ...
) and Alliance Française established. * 1899 **
South Station South Station, officially The Governor Michael S. Dukakis Transportation Center at South Station, is the largest railroad station and intercity bus terminal in Greater Boston and New England's second-largest transportation center after Logan In ...
built. **
Simmons College Institutions of learning called Simmons College or Simmons University include: * Simmons University, a women's liberal arts college in Boston, Massachusetts * Simmons College of Kentucky, a historically black college in Louisville, Kentucky * Har ...
and Boston Rescue Missio

founded. **
Choate, Hall & Stewart Choate Hall & Stewart LLP, commonly referred to as "Choate", is a Boston-based law firm. The firm is known for having a one-office approach to its operations. Recognition In 2019, The Vault named Choate one of the top ten law firms to work fo ...
in business. ** MIT's ''
Technology Review ''MIT Technology Review'' is a bimonthly magazine wholly owned by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and editorially independent of the university. It was founded in 1899 as ''The Technology Review'', and was re-launched without "The" in ...
'' begins publication. * 1900 ** Symphony Hall and Colonial Theatre built. ** ''
Colored American Magazine ''The Colored American Magazine'' was the first monthly publication in the United States that covered African-American culture. It ran from May 1900 to November 1909 and had a peak circulation of 17,000. The magazine was initially published out o ...
'' headquartered in Boston. ** Thomas N. Hart becomes mayor again. ** Population: 560,892.


20th century


1900s–1940s

* 1901 ** January:
L Street Brownies The L Street Brownies are a polar bear club based in South Boston, Massachusetts. Organized in 1902, it is one of the oldest such clubs in the United States. Although the Brownies swim year round, they are best known for their annual New Year's Day ...
(swim club) plunge begins. ** April 20:
Huntington Avenue Grounds Huntington Avenue American League Baseball Grounds is the full name of the baseball stadium that formerly stood in Boston, Massachusetts, and was the first home field for the Boston Red Sox (known informally as the "Boston Americans" before 1908 ...
open. **
Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...
and
Boston Equal Suffrage Association for Good Government The Boston Equal Suffrage Association for Good Government (BESAGG) was an American organization devoted to women's suffrage in Massachusetts. It was active from 1901 to 1920. Like the College Equal Suffrage League, it attracted younger, less risk-a ...
founded. ** Horticultural Hall built on Massachusetts Avenue. ** ''
Boston Guardian The ''Boston Guardian'' was an African-American newspaper, co-founded by William Monroe Trotter and George W. Forbes in 1901 in Boston, Massachusetts, and published until the 1950s. In April 2016, an unrelated publisher launched its own ''Boston ...
'' newspaper begins publication. ** Arcadia Hotel fire * 1902 ** Patrick Collins becomes mayor. ** June 23: First Commencement of YMCA "Evening Institute for Younger Men" (precursor to
Northeastern University Northeastern University (NU) is a private university, private research university with its main campus in Boston. Established in 1898, the university offers undergraduate and graduate programs on its main campus as well as satellite campuses in ...
) is conducted, with Josiah Quincy (1859-1919) as the speaker. ** Tennis and Racquet Club building constructed. * 1903 **
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is an art museum in Boston, Massachusetts, which houses significant examples of European, Asian, and American art. Its collection includes paintings, sculpture, tapestries, and decorative arts. It was founded ...
, Catholic Charitable Bureau, and the Boston Society for the Protection of Italian Immigrants established. **
Jordan Hall Jordan Hall is a 1,051-seat concert hall in Boston, Massachusetts, the principal performance space of the New England Conservatory. It is one block from Boston's Symphony Hall. It is the only conservatory building in the United States to be de ...
opens. ** ''Gazzetta del Massachusetts'' newspaper begins publication. * 1904 **
Wentworth Institute of Technology Wentworth Institute of Technology (WIT) is a private institute of technology in Boston, Massachusetts. Wentworth was founded in 1904 and offers career-focused education through 21 bachelor's degree programs as well as 13 master's degrees. Histo ...
and Metropolitan Improvement League founded. **
Cabot, Cabot & Forbes Cabot, Cabot & Forbes (CC&F) is a real estate development firm in Alewife, Massachusetts. It was founded by Francis Murray Forbes of the Boston Brahmin Forbes family in 1897 as a real estate management firm. Jay Doherty purchased the company in 2 ...
in business. **
Fenway Studios The Fenway Studios are artists' studios located at 30 Ipswich Street, Boston, Massachusetts. The studios were built after a disastrous 1904 fire at Harcourt Studios in which many artists lost their homes, studios, and work. Business and civic lea ...
built. **
Universal Peace Congress A peace congress, in international relations, has at times been defined in a way that would distinguish it from a peace conference (usually defined as a diplomatic meeting to decide on a peace treaty), as an ambitious forum to carry out dispute re ...
held. ** ''
Boston American The ''Boston American'' was a daily tabloid newspaper published in Boston, Massachusetts from March 21, 1904 until September 30, 1961. The newspaper was part of William Randolph Hearst's chain, and thus was also known as ''Hearst's Boston Americ ...
'' newspaper begins publication. * 1905 ** Daniel A. Whelton becomes acting mayor. ** Westland Gate built. * 1906 **
John F. Fitzgerald John Francis "Honey Fitz" Fitzgerald (February 11, 1863 – October 2, 1950) was an American Democratic politician from Boston, Massachusetts. He served as a U.S. Representative and Mayor of Boston. He also made unsuccessful runs for the United ...
becomes mayor. **
Longfellow Bridge The Longfellow Bridge is a steel rib arch bridge spanning the Charles River to connect Boston's Beacon Hill neighborhood with the Kendall Square area of Cambridge, Massachusetts. The bridge carries Massachusetts Route 3, US Route 3, the MBTA R ...
built. **
Suffolk University Suffolk University is a private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. With 7,560 students (includes all campuses, 7,379 at the Boston location alone), it is the eighth-largest university in metropolitan Boston. It was founded as a l ...
,
Boston City Club The Boston City Club (est.1906) of Boston, Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsə ...
, and
Junior League The Association of Junior Leagues International, Inc. (Junior League or JL) is a private, nonprofit educational women's volunteer organization aimed at improving communities and the social, cultural, and political fabric of civil society. With ...
of Boston established. * 1907 –
Boston Finance Commission The Boston Finance Commission (known as FinComm) is an agency that monitors finances for the city of Boston. It is concerned with appropriations, loans, expenditures An expense is an item requiring an outflow of money, or any form of fortune in ...
established. * 1908 ** ''
The Christian Science Monitor ''The Christian Science Monitor'' (''CSM''), commonly known as ''The Monitor'', is a nonprofit news organization that publishes daily articles in electronic format as well as a weekly print edition. It was founded in 1908 as a daily newspaper ...
'' begins publication. ** George A. Hibbard becomes mayor. **
Boston Opera Company The Boston Opera Company (BOC) was an American opera company located in Boston, Massachusetts, that was active from 1909 to 1915. History The company was founded in 1908 by Bostonian millionaire Eben Dyer Jordan, Jr. and impresario Henry Russel ...
and
Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology is a private nonprofit college of engineering and industrial technologies in Boston, Massachusetts. It was established in 1908 with funds bequeathed in Benjamin Franklin's will. History Benjam ...
established. ** Women's Municipal League of Boston activ

**
Paul Revere House The Paul Revere House, built c.1680, was the colonial home of American patriot and Founding Father Paul Revere during the time of the American Revolution. A National Historic Landmark since 1961, it is located at 19 North Square, Boston, Massa ...
restored. * 1909 **
Boston Flower Exchange The Boston Flower Exchange is a wholesale flower market located in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded as a marketplace that local growers could rent cooperatively to sell their products in a space more suited to their needs than Boston's historic Ha ...
and Boston Marine Museum founded. **
Boston Opera House The Boston Opera House, also known as the Citizens Bank Opera House, is a performing arts and esports venue located at 539 Washington St. in Boston, Massachusetts. It was originally built as the B.F. Keith Memorial Theatre, a movie palace in ...
and Museum of Fine Arts open on Huntington Avenue. * 1910 **
Charles River Dam Bridge The Charles River Dam Bridge, officially the Craigie Bridge, also called Craigie's Bridge or the Canal Bridge, is a six-lane bascule bridge across the Charles River in the West End neighborhood of Boston. The bridge, maintained by the Massachus ...
built. **
Chilton Club The Chilton Club is a private social club established in 1910, in the Back Bay area of Boston, Massachusetts. Founded by Pauline Revere Thayer, the club was intended in part as a counterpoint to the Mayflower Club. The club was named after Mar ...
for women and League of Catholic Women established. ** John F. Fitzgerald becomes mayor again. **
Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities Historic New England, previously known as the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities (SPNEA), is a charitable, non-profit, historic preservation organization headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. It is focused on New England ...
, Armenian General Benevolent Union, and
World Peace Foundation The World Peace Foundation or WPF, created in 1910, is a philanthropic foundation for research into peace processes affiliated with The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. Alex de Waal is the director , having become directo ...
headquartered in city. **
Boston Arena Matthews Arena (formerly Boston Arena) is a multi-purpose arena in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the world's oldest multi-purpose athletic building still in use, as well as the oldest arena in use for ice hockey. The arena opened in 1910 on wh ...
opens, and today the world's oldest operational indoor multisports facility. * 1911 –
Plymouth Theatre Plymouth Theatre or Plymouth Theater may refer to: * Plymouth Theatre (Boston) * Plymouth Theatre (Worcester) * Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, New York City, formerly the Plymouth Theatre * H Street Playhouse The H Street Playhouse was a black box ...
opens. * 1912 ** January:
Revere House Revere may refer to: Brands and companies *Revere Ware, a U.S. cookware brand owned by World Kitchen * Revere Camera Company, American designer of cameras and tape recorders *Revere Copper Company * ReVere, a car company recognised by the Classi ...
hotel burns down in Bowdoin Square. ** March:
Red Line (MBTA) The Red Line is a rapid transit line operated by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) as part of the MBTA subway system. The line runs south and east underground from Alewife station in North Cambridge through Somerville and Cam ...
begins operating. ** April 20:
Fenway Park Fenway Park is a baseball stadium located in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, near Kenmore Square. Since 1912, it has been the home of the Boston Red Sox, the city's American League baseball team, and since 1953, its only Major League Base ...
opens. **
Hyde Park Hyde Park may refer to: Places England * Hyde Park, London, a Royal Park in Central London * Hyde Park, Leeds, an inner-city area of north-west Leeds * Hyde Park, Sheffield, district of Sheffield * Hyde Park, in Hyde, Greater Manchester Austra ...
annexed to Boston. ** St. James Theatre opens. ** City Park and Recreation Department created. **
Vedanta ''Vedanta'' (; sa, वेदान्त, ), also ''Uttara Mīmāṃsā'', is one of the six (''āstika'') schools of Hindu philosophy. Literally meaning "end of the Vedas", Vedanta reflects ideas that emerged from, or were aligned with, t ...
Center established (approximate date). * 1913 **
Boylston Street Fishweir In archeological literature, the name Boylston Street Fishweir refers to ancient fishing structures first discovered in 1913, buried below Boylston Street in Boston, Massachusetts. Reports written in 1942 and 1949 describe what was thought to be ...
discovered. ** Women's City Club and Boston Society of Landscape Architects established. * 1914 **
James Michael Curley James Michael Curley (November 20, 1874 – November 12, 1958) was an American Democratic politician from Boston, Massachusetts. He served four terms as mayor of Boston. He also served a single term as governor of Massachusetts, characterized ...
becomes mayor. ** May 4:
Exeter Street Theatre The Exeter Street Theatre is a Richardsonian Romanesque building at the corner of Exeter and Newbury Streets, in the Back Bay section of Boston, Massachusetts. It was built as the First Spiritual Temple, 1884–85, by architects Hartwell and Richa ...
opens. ** Guild of Boston Artists incorporated. ** City Planning Board and Federal Reserve Bank of Boston established. * 1915 ** April 26:
Protest A protest (also called a demonstration, remonstration or remonstrance) is a public expression of objection, disapproval or dissent towards an idea or action, typically a political one. Protests can be thought of as acts of coopera ...
against screening of '' Birth of a Nation''. **
Custom House Tower The Custom House Tower is a skyscraper in McKinley Square, in the Financial District neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. The original building was constructed in 1837–47 and was designed by Ammi Burnham Young in the Greek Revival style. The ...
built. ** Artists League of Boston founded. ** ''Boston Chronicle'' begins publication. * 1916 ** November 7: Summer Street Bridge disaster. ** Quong Kow Chinese School founded. **
Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the ...
relocates from Boston to
Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...
. * 1917 – Boston School for Secretaries established. * 1918 **
Andrew James Peters Andrew James Peters (April 3, 1872 – June 26, 1938) was an American politician who served in the United States House of Representatives and was the 42nd Mayor of Boston. Early years Peters was born on April 3, 1872, in Jamaica Plain, a neigh ...
becomes mayor. ** Red Sox win World Series. * 1919 ** January 15: Great Molasses Flood. ** September 9: Boston Police Strike. ** Emmanuel College founded. **
American Meteorological Society The American Meteorological Society (AMS) is the premier scientific and professional organization in the United States promoting and disseminating information about the Atmospheric sciences, atmospheric, Oceanography, oceanic, and Hydrology, hydr ...
founded * 1922 ** Loew's State Theater (cinema) opens. ** James Michael Curley becomes mayor again. ** Boston Council of Social Agencies incorporated. * 1923 – September 8: Boston Airport opens. * 1924 **
WBZ (AM) WBZ (1030 AM) is a Class A clear channel radio station licensed to Boston, Massachusetts. Originally started by, and formerly owned for most of its existence by, Westinghouse Broadcasting and its successor CBS Radio, WBZ is owned and operate ...
radio begins broadcasting in Boston. ** International Institute of Boston opens. ** The
Boston Bruins The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team has been in existence since 1924, making t ...
professional ice hockey team is founded, one of the NHL's
Original Six The Original Six () are the teams that comprised the National Hockey League (NHL) between 1942 and 1967. The six teams are the Boston Bruins, Chicago Black Hawks, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, and Toronto Maple Leafs ...
teams. * 1925 **
Pickwick Club collapse The Pickwick Club collapse occurred on July 4, 1925. It killed 44 people, making it the List of disasters in Massachusetts by death toll, deadliest building collapse in Boston's history and the second deadliest accident in Boston (behind the Summe ...
** Metropolitan Theatre built. * 1926 – Republican
Malcolm Nichols Malcolm Edwin Nichols (May 8, 1876 – February 7, 1951) was a journalist and a U.S. political figure. Nichols served as the Mayor of Boston in the late 1920s. He came from a Boston Brahmin family and was the most recent Republican to serve in t ...
becomes mayor. * 1927 ** August 23:
Sacco and Vanzetti Nicola Sacco (; April 22, 1891 – August 23, 1927) and Bartolomeo Vanzetti (; June 11, 1888 – August 23, 1927) were Italian immigrant anarchists who were controversially accused of murdering Alessandro Berardelli and Frederick Parmenter, a ...
executed. **
Boston College High School , motto_translation = ''So they may know You.'' , address = 150 Morrissey Boulevard , city = Boston , state = Massachusetts , zipcode = 02125 , country ...
incorporated. ** Statler Hotel Boston opens for business. * 1928 **
Boston University Bridge The Boston University Bridge, originally the Cottage Farm Bridge and commonly referred to as the BU Bridge, is a steel truss through arch bridge with a suspended deck carrying Route 2 over the Charles River, connecting the Boston University ca ...
built. ** November 17:
Boston Garden The Boston Garden was an arena in Boston, Massachusetts. Designed by boxing promoter Tex Rickard, who also built the third iteration of New York's Madison Square Garden, it opened on November 17, 1928, as "Boston Madison Square Garden" (late ...
opens. ** Beacon Hill Garden Club founded. **
John William McCormack John William McCormack (December 21, 1891 – November 22, 1980) was an American politician from Boston, Massachusetts. An attorney and a Democrat, McCormack served in the United States Army during World War I, and afterwards won terms in both th ...
becomes
U.S. representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...
for Massachusetts's 12th congressional district. * 1929 – Caffe Vittori

in business. * 1930 – James Michael Curley becomes mayor yet again. ** John C. Hull (politician), John C. Hull appointed first Securities Director of Massachusetts (Jan. 1930). ** Edward C. Johnson II applied to have the "Fidelity Fund" approved in May 1930. * 1932 **
Boston Municipal Research Bureau The Boston Municipal Research Bureau is a non-profit, member supported research organization which focuses on urban issues in Boston, Massachusetts. The bureau was founded in 1932, and has a board of directors composed of major business and instit ...
founded. **
Charles/MGH (MBTA station) Charles/MGH station is a rapid transit station on the MBTA Red Line, elevated above Charles Circle on the east end of the Longfellow Bridge in the West End neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. The station is named for Charles Circle and t ...
opens. * 1933 ** Slifky's Reliable Oil Burner Service in business in Dorchester. ** St. Stephen's Armenian Apostolic Church establishe

* 1934 **
Frederick Mansfield Frederick William Mansfield (March 26, 1877 – November 6, 1958) was an American politician and 46th mayor of Boston, Massachusetts. Early life Mansfield was born in East Boston, Massachusetts, March 26, 1877. Mansfield was the son of Michael R ...
becomes mayor. ** Sumner Tunnel opens. ** Calvin Coolidge College established. * 1935 –
Boston Housing Authority The Boston Housing Authority (BHA) is a public agency of the city of Boston, Massachusetts that provides subsidized public housing to low- and moderate-income families and individuals. In the federal government model of the United States Depart ...
established. * 1936 – Boston Museum of Modern Art founded. * 1937 – Marquand's fictional ''
The Late George Apley ''The Late George Apley'' is a 1937 novel by John Phillips Marquand. It is a satire of Boston Brahmin, Boston's upper class in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The title character is a Harvard-educated White Anglo-Saxon Protestant, WASP ...
'' published. * 1938 – Maurice J. Tobin becomes mayor. * 1939 **
Wheelock College Wheelock College (Wheelock) was a private college in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1888 by Lucy Wheelock as Miss Wheelock's Kindergarten Training School, it offered undergraduate and graduate programs that focused on the Arts & Sciences, ...
incorporated. ** Housewives League of Boston founded. ** Holy Name Church built. * 1940 **
Citgo sign The Boston Citgo sign is a large, double-faced sign featuring the logo of the oil company Citgo that overlooks Kenmore Square in Boston. The sign was installed in 1940 and updated with Citgo's present logo in 1965. The sign has become a landmark ...
erected. ** Hatch Memorial Shell built. ** Boston School of Pharmacy incorporated. * 1941 – McCloskey's children's book ''
Make Way for Ducklings ''Make Way for Ducklings'' is a children's picture book written and illustrated by Robert McCloskey. First published in 1941 by the Viking Press, the book tells the story of a pair of mallards who raise their brood of ducklings on an island in t ...
'' published. * 1942 ** November 28:
Cocoanut Grove fire The Cocoanut Grove fire was a nightclub fire which took place in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, on November 28, 1942, and resulted in the deaths of 492 people. It is the deadliest nightclub fire in U.S. history, and the second-deadliest ...
. ** New England Chinese Women's Association headquartered in city. * 1944 – Fenway Garden Society established. * 1945 ** John E. Kerrigan becomes acting mayor. ** Schillinger House and French Library founded. * 1946 **
Fidelity Fidelity is the quality of faithfulness or loyalty. Its original meaning regarded duty in a broader sense than the related concept of ''fealty''. Both derive from the Latin word ''fidēlis'', meaning "faithful or loyal". In the City of London f ...
in business. ** City Department of Veterans’ Services created. **
Community Boating Community Boating, Inc. (CBI) is a private not-for-profit corporation run in association with the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation. Located on the Charles River Esplanade between the Hatch Shell and the Longfellow Bridge C ...
incorporated. ** James Michael Curley becomes mayor yet again once more. **
American Meteorological Society The American Meteorological Society (AMS) is the premier scientific and professional organization in the United States promoting and disseminating information about the Atmospheric sciences, atmospheric, Oceanography, oceanic, and Hydrology, hydr ...
headquartered in city. * 1947 ** Mayor Curley imprisoned; John Hynes becomes acting mayor. ** Boston Trailer Park established. ** Old John Hancock Building built. **
John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination ...
becomes
U.S. representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...
for
Massachusetts's 11th congressional district Massachusetts's 11th congressional district is an obsolete congressional district in eastern Massachusetts. It was eliminated in 1993 after the 1990 U.S. census. Its last congressman was Brian Donnelly; its most notable were John Quincy Adams ...
. ** Wally's nightclub in business. * 1949 –
Freedom House Freedom House is a non-profit, majority U.S. government funded organization in Washington, D.C., that conducts research and advocacy on democracy, political freedom, and human rights. Freedom House was founded in October 1941, and Wendell Wil ...
established.


1950s–1970s

* 1950 ** January 17:
Great Brink's Robbery The Great Brink's Robbery was an armed robbery of the Brink's building in the North End of Boston, Massachusetts, on January 17, 1950. The $2.775 million ($ million today) theft consisted of $1,218,211.29 in cash and $1,557,183.83 in checks, ...
. ** Federation of South End Settlements and
Elma Lewis Elma Ina Lewis (September 15, 1921 – January 1, 2004) was an American arts educator and the founder of the National Center of Afro-American Artists and The Elma Lewis School of Fine Arts. She was one of the first recipients of a MacArth ...
School of Fine Arts established. ** Population: 801,444. * 1951 ** June 15:
Storrow Drive Storrow Drive, officially James Jackson Storrow Memorial Drive, is a major crosstown parkway in Boston, Massachusetts, running east–west along the southern bank of the Charles River. It is restricted to cars; trucks and buses are not perm ...
opens. ** October 6:
WGBH (FM) WGBH (89.7 MHz; branded as GBH without the " W" since August 31, 2020) is a public radio station located in Boston, Massachusetts. WGBH is a member station of National Public Radio (NPR) and affiliate of Public Radio Exchange (PRX), which me ...
begins broadcasting. **
Museum of Science The Museum of Science (MoS) is a science museum and indoor zoo in Boston, Massachusetts, located in Science Park, a plot of land spanning the Charles River. Along with over 700 interactive exhibits, the museum features a number of live presentat ...
opens. **
Long Island Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United Sta ...
Viaduct (bridge) built. * 1954 – Schillinger House renamed
Berklee College of Music Berklee College of Music is a private music college in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known for the study of jazz and modern American music, it also offers college-level cours ...
. * 1955 ** May 2:
WGBH-TV WGBH-TV (channel 2), branded on-air as GBH or GBH 2 since 2020, is the primary PBS member television station in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It is the flagship property of the WGBH Educational Foundation, which also owns Boston's sec ...
begins broadcasting. ** June 5:
Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister and activist, one of the most prominent leaders in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968 ...
earns PhD from
Boston University Boston University (BU) is a private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. The university is nonsectarian, but has a historical affiliation with the United Methodist Church. It was founded in 1839 by Methodists with its original campu ...
. ** Saint Andrew Ukrainian Orthodox Church active. **
Boston Catholic Television The CatholicTV Network, commonly known as CatholicTV, is a Catholic television network based in Watertown, Massachusetts. CatholicTV first launched locally in Boston in 1955, making it the oldest Catholic television network in the United States. ...
begins broadcasting. * 1956 ** Boston Airport renamed
Logan International Airport General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport , also known as Boston Logan International Airport and commonly as Boston Logan, Logan Airport or simply Logan, is an international airport that is located mostly in East Boston and partially ...
. ** O'Connor's fictional ''
The Last Hurrah ''The Last Hurrah'' is a 1956 novel written by Edwin O'Connor. It is considered the most popular of O’Connor's works, partly because of a 1958 movie adaptation starring Spencer Tracy. The novel was immediately a bestseller in the United Stat ...
'' published. * 1957 **
Boston Redevelopment Authority The Boston Planning & Development Agency (BPDA), formerly the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA), is a Massachusetts public agency that serves as the municipal planning and development agency for Boston, working on both housing and commercial de ...
and
Gibson House Museum The Gibson House Museum is an historic house museum located at 137 Beacon Street in the Back Bay neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. It preserves the 1860 Victorian rowhouse occupied by three generations of the Gibson family. The house was ...
established. **
WILD (AM) WILD (1090 AM) is a radio station licensed to Boston, Massachusetts. The station airs a Christian format, and is owned by Blount Communications, through licensee Blount Masscom, Inc. The station operates during daytime hours only. Its transmitte ...
radio on the air. * 1958 ** February 16–17: Snowstorm. ** November: Funeral of
James Michael Curley James Michael Curley (November 20, 1874 – November 12, 1958) was an American Democratic politician from Boston, Massachusetts. He served four terms as mayor of Boston. He also served a single term as governor of Massachusetts, characterized ...
. **
Freedom Trail The Freedom Trail is a path through Boston, Massachusetts, that passes by 16 locations significant to the history of the United States. Marked largely with brick, it winds from Boston Common in downtown Boston through the North End to the Bu ...
established. * 1959 **
Central Artery The Central Artery (officially the John F. Fitzgerald Expressway) is a section of freeway in downtown Boston, Massachusetts; it is designated as Interstate 93, US 1 and Route 3. The original Artery, constructed in the 1950s, was named after ...
(freeway) built. **
Sister city A sister city or a twin town relationship is a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties. While there are early examples of inter ...
relationship established with
Kyoto Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the ci ...
, Japan. * ca. 1959–60 – West End demolition * 1960 ** March 3–5: Snowstorm. ** October 1: Peace rally held. **
Model United Nations Model United Nations, also known as Model UN or MUN, is an educational simulation in which students can learn about diplomacy, international relations, and the United Nations. At a MUN conference, students work as the representative of a count ...
conference held at Northeastern University. **
Sister city A sister city or a twin town relationship is a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties. While there are early examples of inter ...
relationship established with
Strasbourg Strasbourg (, , ; german: Straßburg ; gsw, label=Bas Rhin Alsatian, Strossburi , gsw, label=Haut Rhin Alsatian, Strossburig ) is the prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est region of eastern France and the official seat of the Eu ...
, France. ** John F. Collins becomes mayor. ** Razing of Mission Hill's historic district for three high-rise residences * 1961 ** Callahan Tunnel and
Boston Common The Boston Common (also known as the Common) is a public park in downtown Boston, Massachusetts. It is the oldest city park in the United States. Boston Common consists of of land bounded by Tremont Street (139 Tremont St.), Park Street, Beacon ...
Parking Garage open. ** Puerto Rican Entering and Settling Service founded. *
Massachusetts League of Cities and Towns
headquartered in Boston. * 1962 ** June 14:
Boston Strangler The Boston Strangler is the name given to the murderer of 13 women in the Boston, Massachusetts, area during the early 1960s. The crimes were attributed to Albert DeSalvo based on his confession, details revealed in court during a separate case, ...
murders begin. **
Scollay Square 300px, Scollay Square, Boston, 19th century (after September 1880) 350px, Scollay Square, Decoration Day, 19th century (after September 1880) Scollay Square (c. 1838–1962) was a vibrant city square in downtown Boston, Massachusetts. It was na ...
razed. ** Caffe Paradiso in business. * 1963 **
Metropolitan Area Planning Council Greater Boston is the metropolitan region of New England encompassing the municipality of Boston (the capital of the U.S. state of Massachusetts and the most populous city in New England) and its surrounding areas. The region forms the northern ar ...
and
Boston Ballet The Boston Ballet is an American professional classical ballet company based in Boston, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1963 by E. Virginia Williams and Sydney Leonard, and was the first professional repertory ballet company in New England. I ...
founded. ** ''
The French Chef ''The French Chef'' is an American television cooking show created and hosted by Julia Child, produced and broadcast by WGBH, the public television station in Boston, Massachusetts, from February 11, 1963 to January 14, 1973. It was one of ...
'' television cooking program begins broadcasting. * 1964 **
Prudential Tower The Prudential Tower, also known as the Prudential Building or, colloquially, The Pru,subscription required'The Pru' everyone calls it: a resigned shrug of a name, as flat and uninflected as the wan moue its pronunciation requires." is an Inter ...
built. **
University of Massachusetts Boston The University of Massachusetts Boston (stylized as UMass Boston) is a Public university, public research university in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the only public research university in Boston and the third-largest campus in the five-campus Un ...
and
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (abbreviated MBTA and known colloquially as "the T") is the public agency responsible for operating most public transportation services in Greater Boston, Massachusetts. The MBTA transit network in ...
established. ** May 22: Bellflower Street fire in Dorchester. * 1965 – April 23: Civil rights rally held on Boston Common. * 1966 ** ''
Boston Phoenix ''The Phoenix'' (stylized as ''The Phœnix'') was the name of several alternative weekly periodicals published in the United States of America by Phoenix Media/Communications Group of Boston, Massachusetts, including the ''Portland Phoenix'' and ...
'' newspaper begins publication. ** Lower Roxbury Community Corporation, Haley House, and
South End Historical Society The South End Historical Society or SEHS, is a non-profit community organization founded in 1966, and dedicated to the preservation of the built environment and revitalization of the South End neighborhood in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. ...
established. ** Metropolitan Council for Educational Opportunity school desegregation program begins. **
Copley Square Copley Square , named for painter John Singleton Copley, is a public square in Boston's Back Bay neighborhood, bounded by Boylston Street, Clarendon Street, St. James Avenue, and Dartmouth Street. Prior to 1883 it was known as Art Square due to it ...
remodeled. ** Paramount Hotel explosion * 1967 ** November 7: Boston mayoral election, 1967 held. ** Charles Cinema in business. ** Chinese American Civic Association headquartered in city. ** Bowker Overpass built. 2012–present * 1968 ** April 4: Racial
unrest Unrest, also called disaffection, is a sociological phenomenon, including: * Civil unrest * Civil disorder * Domestic terrorism * Industrial unrest * Labor unrest * Rebellion * Riot * Strike action * State of emergency Notable historical in ...
. ** April 5:
James Brown James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, dancer, musician, record producer and bandleader. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th century music, he is often referred to by the honor ...
concert, Boston Garden. ** May 2:
Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...
win basketball 1968 NBA Finals, championship. ** National Center of Afro–American Artists, Alianza Hispana, Sociedad Latina de South Boston, Community Chang

and city Council on Aging established. ** Blackside films in business. ** Kevin White (mayor), Kevin White becomes mayor. * 1969 ** February: Boston City Hall new building dedicated. ** February 24–27: Snowstorm. ** May 5:
Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...
win basketball 1969 NBA Finals, championship again. ** Pine Street Inn Homelessness in the United States#Massachusetts, homeless shelter begins operating. ** New England Aquarium opens. ** Walk for Hunger begins. * 1970 ** May: Antiwar demonstration held. ** May 10:
Boston Bruins The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team has been in existence since 1924, making t ...
win ice hockey 1970 Stanley Cup Finals, championship. ** Boston Pride parade, Pride begins. ** Aerosmith (musical group), Boston Center for the Arts, and city Rent Board established. ** One Boston Place and 28 State Street built. ** Boston Properties in business. * 1971 ** Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Massachusetts Rehabilitation Hospital and Boston Food Co-op established. ** Government Service Center (Boston), Government Service Center built. ** Nova Scotia's donation of the Boston Christmas Tree tradition resumes. * 1972 ** June 17: Hotel Vendome fire. ** Labor demonstration. ** Maison Robert restaurant in business. **
Boston Public Library The Boston Public Library is a municipal public library system in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, founded in 1848. The Boston Public Library is also the Library for the Commonwealth (formerly ''library of last recourse'') of the Commonweal ...
Johnson building opens. * 1973 ** The Boston Caribbean Carnival, is founded (same year as New York City and Washington, D.C.) ** Bunker Hill Community College, Roxbury Community College, The Boston Harbor Association, Boston Harbor Association, City Life/Vida Urbana, and Boston Baroque founded. * 1974 ** Desegregation busing in the United States, Desegregation busing conflict due to outcome of verdict Morgan v. Hennigan. ** Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción active. ** Independence Day (United States), July 4: Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops begin the annual tradition of a concert and fireworks show at the Hatch Shell on the Charles River Esplanade, courtesy of local businessman and philanthropist David G. Mugar. ** The Rathskeller music venue opens. ** Rosie's Place founded. * 1975 ** Boston Landmarks Commission and ArtsBoston established. ** Boston Consulting Group in business. ** ''Boston Review, New Boston Review'' begins publication. * 1976 ** John Hancock Tower built. **Independence Day (United States), July 4: United States Bicentennial, America's Bicentennial celebrations. ** First Night begins. ** ''Boston Irish News'' begins publication. ** Boston Film/Video Foundation and Boston By Foot established. ** WGBH ''Ten O’Clock News'' (local news) begins broadcasting. ** Faneuil Hall Festival marketplace, marketplace developed. * 1977 ** Federal Reserve Bank Building (Boston), Federal Reserve Bank Building constructed. ** Chinese Progressive Association founded. * 1978 ** January 20–21: Snowstorm. ** February 6–7: Snowstorm. ** Newbury Comics in business. ** American Buddhist Shim Gum Do Association headquartered in Brighton. ** Boston Preservation Alliance founded. ** L'Espalier restaurant in business. * 1979 ** WBCN Rock & Roll Rumble begins. ** Boston Children's Museum building and The Computer Museum, Boston, Computer Museum open. ** John F. Kennedy Library built. ** Center for Chinese Art and Culture, and Mission of Burma (musical group) established. ** Brian J. Donnelly becomes
U.S. representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...
for
Massachusetts's 11th congressional district Massachusetts's 11th congressional district is an obsolete congressional district in eastern Massachusetts. It was eliminated in 1993 after the 1990 U.S. census. Its last congressman was Brian Donnelly; its most notable were John Quincy Adams ...
.


1980s–1990s

* 1980 ** Boston Early Music Festival, Boston Alliance for Gay and Lesbian Youth, and Culinary Historians of Boston founded. ** The Channel (nightclub) opens. **
Sister city A sister city or a twin town relationship is a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties. While there are early examples of inter ...
relationship established with Barcelona, Spain. ** Population: 562,994. * 1981 ** Boston Society of Film Critics, Dance Umbrella, and Boston Area Feminist Coalition founded. ** Greater Boston Food Bank, Boston Food Bank incorporated. ** J.P. Licks in business. * 1982 ** Suffolk Construction Company in business. ** Boston Gay Men's Chorus and Boston Fair Housing Commission established. **
Sister city A sister city or a twin town relationship is a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties. While there are early examples of inter ...
relationship established with Hangzhou, China. ** ''Cheers'' fictional television program begins broadcasting. * 1983 ** ''Dorchester Reporter'' begins publication. ** Boston Community Access and Programming Foundation established. ** Bayside Expo Center opens. **
Sister city A sister city or a twin town relationship is a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties. While there are early examples of inter ...
relationship established with Padua, Italy. * 1984 ** Raymond Flynn becomes mayor. ** Bernard Law becomes Catholic bishop of Boston. ** Bain Capital, Trident Booksellers, and Copley Place Cinemas in business. ** Boston Human Rights Commission, and city Office of Business and Cultural Development established. * 1985 ** Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative and Universal Buddhist Congregation established. ** Lecco's Lemma hip-hop radio program begins broadcasting on WMBR.
**
Sister city A sister city or a twin town relationship is a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties. While there are early examples of inter ...
relationship established with Melbourne, Australia. ** Massachusetts Archives, Massachusetts State Archives moves to Columbia Point. * 1986 – Pixies (band), Pixies (musical group), and city Office of Arts and Humanities established. * 1987 ** ACT UP/Boston and Jamaica Plain Historical Society founded. ** Back Bay (MBTA station) rebuilt. ** Partners In Health nonprofit headquartered in city. ** Joseph P. Kennedy II becomes
U.S. representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...
for Massachusetts's 8th congressional district. ** Gordon Hamersley, Hamersley's Bistro in business. * 1988 ** City of Boston Archives and City Year established. ** Hynes Convention Center and 75 State Street built. ** Aberdeen Group in business. ** Michael Dukakis 1988 United States presidential election, presidential campaign and Pioneer Institute headquartered in city. ** Tent City (housing complex) dedicated. * 1989 ** October 23: Charles Stuart (murderer), Stuart shootings in Mission Hill. ** Biba (restaurant), Biba restaurant in business. **
Sister city A sister city or a twin town relationship is a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties. While there are early examples of inter ...
relationship established with Haifa, Israel. ** Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church and New England Shelter for Homeless Veteran

founded. * 1990 ** March 18: Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Gardner Museum heist. ** Population: 574,283. * 1991- Deer Island Prison closes. ** The no-name weather system on Halloween becomes known as the 1991 Perfect Storm, Perfect Storm due to how it came together. * 1992 ** ''Spare Change News'' begins publication. ** Ten Point Coalition founded. ** Chinese Historical Society of New England headquartered in city. ** Avalon nightclub opens. * 1993 ** July 12: Thomas Menino, president of the Boston City Council, becomes acting mayor when Raymond Flynn, Mayor Flynn resigns to accept his appointment by Bill Clinton, President Clinton to become United States Ambassador to the Holy See, Ambassador to the Holy See. ** November 2: Menino is elected mayor in his own right. ** Urban College of Boston established. ** C-Mart grocery in Chinatown and Alpha Management Corp. (landlord) in business. * 1994 ** August 15: Chinook Checkers Program wins Man vs Machine World Team Championship.
** Alternatives for Community and Environment founded. ** Rent control ends. ** Leader Bank Pavilion, Harbor Lights Pavilion (amphitheatre) opens. * 1995 ** Ted Williams Tunnel opens. ** Piers Park Sailing Center, and city Office of Civil Rights established. ** Stop & Shop grocery in business in Jamaica Plain. ** Citizen Schools nonprofit headquartered in Boston. ** Boston Fashion Week begins. * 1996 ** City website launched. ** The
Boston City Hospital The Boston City Hospital (1864–1996), in Boston, Massachusetts, was a public hospital, located in the South End. It was "intended for the use and comfort of poor patients, to whom medical care will be provided at the expense of the city, and . ...
(BCH), the first municipal hospital in the United States and Boston University Medical Center Hospital (BUMCH) merge. ** Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area, city Public Health Commission, and Massachusetts Innovation & Technology Exchange, Massachusetts Interactive Media Council established. **
Sister city A sister city or a twin town relationship is a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties. While there are early examples of inter ...
relationship established with Taipei, Taiwan. ** Massachusetts Institute for a New Commonwealth headquartered in city. ** Boston Coalition of Black Women incorporated. ** Operation Ceasefire implemented. * 1997 ** April 1: Blizzard. ** Grub Street, Inc., Grub Street writing center established. ** Shaw's grocery in business in Dorchester. ** Boston Demons begin play in inaugural United States Australian Football League, USAFL season. * 1998 ** Roxbury Film Festival, Dudley Film Festival begins. ** Urban Ecology Institut

founded. ** Barbara Lynch (restaurateur), No. 9 Park restaurant in business. **
Boston Garden The Boston Garden was an arena in Boston, Massachusetts. Designed by boxing promoter Tex Rickard, who also built the third iteration of New York's Madison Square Garden, it opened on November 17, 1928, as "Boston Madison Square Garden" (late ...
is demolished. * 1999 ** Mike Capuano becomes
U.S. representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...
for Massachusetts's 8th congressional district. ** John Joseph Moakley United States Courthouse built. ** Northeastern University's Center for Urban and Regional Policy and
Fidelity Fidelity is the quality of faithfulness or loyalty. Its original meaning regarded duty in a broader sense than the related concept of ''fealty''. Both derive from the Latin word ''fidēlis'', meaning "faithful or loyal". In the City of London f ...
Center for Applied Technology established. ** Nixon Peabody in business. **
Sister city A sister city or a twin town relationship is a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties. While there are early examples of inter ...
relationship established with Boston, Lincolnshire, Boston, England. * 2000 ** T Rider's Union, Boston University's Pardee Center for International Futures, Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future, and Technology Goes Home digital divide project established. ** Joanne Chang opens Flour Bakery. ** Population: 589,141.


21st century


2000s

* 2001 ** Stephen Lynch (politician), Stephen Lynch becomes
U.S. representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...
for Massachusetts's 9th congressional district. **
Sister city A sister city or a twin town relationship is a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties. While there are early examples of inter ...
relationship established with Sekondi-Takoradi, Ghana. ** Trader Joe's grocery in business in Back Bay. ** MassEquality headquartered in Boston. * 2002 ** Sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic archdiocese of Boston reported. ** Super 88 grocery in business in Allston. ** South End Technology Center active. * 2003 ** February 17–18: Snowstorm. ** Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge opens. ** Discover Roxbury established. ** Independent Film Festival of Boston and Anime Boston convention begin. ** AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts headquartered in city. * 2004 ** June: Boston Convention and Exhibition Center opens. ** July: 2004 Democratic National Convention held. ** October 27: Red Sox win World Series (for the first time since 1918). ** Boston Social Forum held. ** Artists for Humanity EpiCenter built. ** Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti headquartered in Boston. ** City's "Office of Arts, Tourism, and Special Events" and Boston Public Library Norman B. Leventhal Map Center, Map Center established. * 2005 ** January 22–23: Blizzard. ** Boston Workers Alliance and Boston Derby Dames (rollerderby league) established. ** ''Universal Hub'' begins publication. ** Eastern Standard restaurant and Toro restaurant in business. * 2006 ** July 10: Big Dig ceiling collapse. ** August 15: Joseph E. Aoun takes office as the seventh president of
Northeastern University Northeastern University (NU) is a private university, private research university with its main campus in Boston. Established in 1898, the university offers undergraduate and graduate programs on its main campus as well as satellite campuses in ...
. ** December: Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, Institute of Contemporary Art building opens in South Boston. ** Crittenton Women's Union formed. * 2007 ** Big Dig completed. ** 826 Boston (writing center) and Berklee's Cafe 939 open. **
Charles/MGH (MBTA station) Charles/MGH station is a rapid transit station on the MBTA Red Line, elevated above Charles Circle on the east end of the Longfellow Bridge in the West End neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. The station is named for Charles Circle and t ...
rebuilt. ** Myers + Chang restaurant in business. ** ''Xconomy'' begins publication. **
Sister city A sister city or a twin town relationship is a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties. While there are early examples of inter ...
relationship established with Valladolid, Spain. ** Grow Boston Greener established. * 2008 ** Rose Kennedy Greenway built. ** Open Media Boston established. ** ''BostInno'' begins publication. * 2009 ** Boston Book Festival and TEDx Boston begin. ** ''GlobalPost'' news headquartered in Boston. ** Boston Street Lab incorporated. ** City government "Citizens Connect" 3-1-1 app launched. ** Higher Ground Boston, and Bocoup Loft, Boston World Partnerships nonprofit, and Boston University's New England Center for Investigative Reporting established. ** Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center opens in Roxbury. ** August 29: Funeral and procession for longtime US Senator Edward M. Kennedy.


2010s

* 2010 ** One City One Book, One City One Story, Boston Rising program in Dorchester, Boston, Grove Hall, Girls Rock Boston, JP Music Festival, and Design Museum Boston established. ** MuckRock headquartered in Boston. ** Island Creek Oyster Bar in business. ** Population: 617,594; Greater Boston, metro 4,552,402. * 2011 ** September 30: Occupy Boston begins. ** Hubway (bike system) and Future Boston Alliance established. ** Boston Urban Iditarod begins. ** Population: 625,087; metro 4,591,112. * 2012 ** October: Hurricane Sandy. ** Data.cityofboston.gov website launched. ** Mitt Romney presidential campaign, 2012 headquartered in Boston. ** Boston Contemporary Dance Festival begins. ** Population: 636,479. * 2013 ** February 8–9: Blizzard. ** April 15: Boston Marathon bombing. ** April 19: City shuts down for manhunt of marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. His brother Tamerlan Tsarnaev, Tamerlan died in a shootout with Watertown Police three after the tragedy. Towards the end of the manhunt, Dzhokhar was found hidden in a boat in a Watertown backyard. He was surrounded by police and was later taken into custody. ** June 12: Whitey Bulger trial begins. ** October 30: The
Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...
, in an end-of-year triumph, win the 2013 World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals; the first win at
Fenway Park Fenway Park is a baseball stadium located in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, near Kenmore Square. Since 1912, it has been the home of the Boston Red Sox, the city's American League baseball team, and since 1953, its only Major League Base ...
since 1918, and the third they've won since 2004. ** November 5: Boston mayoral election, 2013. ** Millennium Tower (Boston, Massachusetts), Millennium Tower construction begins. ** Digital Public Library of America headquartered in Boston. ** Code for America, Code for Boston active. **
Longfellow Bridge The Longfellow Bridge is a steel rib arch bridge spanning the Charles River to connect Boston's Beacon Hill neighborhood with the Kendall Square area of Cambridge, Massachusetts. The bridge carries Massachusetts Route 3, US Route 3, the MBTA R ...
renovation begins. ** November 14, 2013, Bulger was sentenced to two consecutive life terms plus five years for his crimes by U.S. District Judge Denise Casper. As of January 10, 2014 Bulger is currently incarcerated at the United States Penitentiary, Tucson, United States Penitentiary in Tucson, Arizona]

* 2014 ** Marty Walsh becomes mayor. ** Boston Veterans' court, Veterans Treatment Court begins operating. ** April: City government open data executive order signed. ** November 3: Funeral and procession for former mayor Thomas Menino, Tom Menino, after he lay in state at
Faneuil Hall Faneuil Hall ( or ; previously ) is a marketplace and meeting hall located near the waterfront and today's Government Center, in Boston, Massachusetts. Opened in 1742, it was the site of several speeches by Samuel Adams, James Otis, and others ...
the previous day. ** December: Boston bid for the 2024 Summer Olympics submitte

** TD Garden, the home of the Boston Bruins and Boston Celtics, will receive a $70 million facelift over the next two years. * 2015 ** January 5: The trial of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev begins. ** January 26–27: January 2015 North American blizzard. ** March: After closure in 2014 the rebuilt Government Center station (MBTA), Government Center MBTA station] reopens. ** March-April: what remained of Long Island Bridge in Boston Harbor is demolished after having been formally closed a year earlier in 2014. ** May: United Women's Lacrosse League is founded. ** June: Kimono protest begins. ** July 14: Tide Street snow pile melts. ** City 15-year master plan process begins. ** Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate, Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate opens. ** Daily Table grocery and Boston Market in business. ** Sunfish spotted in harbour. ** Tower at One Greenway built. ** Four Seasons Hotel & Private Residences, One Dalton Street, One Dalton construction begins. * 2016 – February 23: Boston Storm (UWLX) is founded as one of the four original teams in the United Women's Lacrosse League. ** October: An unusually high 'King Tide' over-tops part of Long Wharf along the Boston waterfront. * 2017 ** January 21: 2017 Women's March, Women's protest against U.S. president Trump. ** April 3: Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Complex at
Northeastern University Northeastern University (NU) is a private university, private research university with its main campus in Boston. Established in 1898, the university offers undergraduate and graduate programs on its main campus as well as satellite campuses in ...
opens for collaborative research, laboratory access, and classroom learning. ** August 18: Thousands march from Roxbury to Boston Common to protest white nationalism a week after violence in Charlottesville, Virginia. They protest a gathering of a hundred self-identified free speech advocates associated with the alt-right. ** August, 20: the .boston top-level internet domain (GeoTLD) officially started taking registrations. * 2019 ** Long time Dudley becomes officially renamed Nubian Square.


2020s

* 2020 ** March: Boston was hardest-hit by COVID-19 pandemic, Mayor Marty Walsh declares state of emergency, which put few thousands of residents out of work, issued strict local stay-at-home orders, and shifted others to work at home. * 2021 ** First Woman Mayor of Boston was elected on the 2nd of November. Michelle Wu, 36-year-old daughter of Taiwanese immigrants. * 2022 ** A New New Holocaust museum and education center To be located on the
Freedom Trail The Freedom Trail is a path through Boston, Massachusetts, that passes by 16 locations significant to the history of the United States. Marked largely with brick, it winds from Boston Common in downtown Boston through the North End to the Bu ...
that marks the history of the United States. Marked largely with brick, it winds from
Boston Common The Boston Common (also known as the Common) is a public park in downtown Boston, Massachusetts. It is the oldest city park in the United States. Boston Common consists of of land bounded by Tremont Street (139 Tremont St.), Park Street, Beacon ...
in downtown Boston through the North End, Boston, North End to the Bunker Hill Monument in Charlestown. In 2022 a Holocaust museum was slated and design, along with plenty of funding and this will be designed along the Freedom Trail at the Boston Common within view of the Massachusetts State House on Beacon Hill.


See also

* Annual events in Boston * History of Boston * List of mayors of Boston * Past Members of the Boston City Council * :Timelines of cities in Massachusetts, Timelines of other List of municipalities in Massachusetts, municipalities in the Greater Boston area of Massachusetts: Timeline of Cambridge, Massachusetts, Cambridge, Timeline of Haverhill, Massachusetts, Haverhill, Timeline of Lawrence, Massachusetts, Lawrence, Timeline of Lowell, Massachusetts, Lowell, Timeline of Lynn, Massachusetts, Lynn, Timeline of New Bedford, Massachusetts, New Bedford, Timeline of Salem, Massachusetts, Salem, Timeline of Somerville, Massachusetts, Somerville, Timeline of Waltham, Massachusetts, Waltham, Timeline of Worcester, Massachusetts, Worcester * Timeline of Holyoke, Massachusetts


References


Bibliography

;published in the 19th century * * * * * * * * ;published in the 20th century * * * * * *
"Boston""Chronology"
* * * * * * * * * ;published in the 21st century * * * * * * * * * *


External links


Items related to Boston
various dates (via Digital Public Library of America) *
Materials related to Boston
various dates (via U.S. Library of Congress, Prints & Photos Division)
Walkingboston.com


various dates (via Europeana) * (collection of Web archiving, archived websites)
Mapping Boston History
{{DEFAULTSORT:Boston Boston-related lists History of Boston, Timelines of cities in Massachusetts Years in Massachusetts