Article published in Longmeadow Neighbors
(August 2024)

Mark Your Calendars! 📅 August 17th is National Massachusetts Day and as your local digital media experts here at MorningBird Media, we are excited to share with you ways to commemorate the commonwealth in style through your digital media accounts. What began by National Day Calendar® as an initiative to recognize and celebrate every state in the union starting with Delaware on the week of July 4th, has now, almost a decade later, become a popular way to share all the things that make each of our states unique online. 

Our great state of Massachusetts has an endless wealth of innovators, famous actors, politicians and people who have helped advance our society. No matter what industry you are in, or even if you’re simply looking to share some fun and trending facts for your social profiles or blogs, we've done the research for you!

If you want to capitalize on the rich history and successes of Massachusetts to help differentiate you from your competition, see the list below we’ve compiled for you with our favorite facts. Whether education, technology, or communication, world-changing pivotal moments took place right here in the Baystate!

Firsts:

First Newspaper: The first continuously published newspaper in America, the Boston News-Letter, was first printed in Boston in 1704.

First Public School: The Boston Latin School, founded in 1635, is the oldest public school in the United States.

First Public Library: The Boston Public Library, founded in 1848, was the first publicly supported municipal library in the USA.

First American University: Harvard University, founded in 1636 in Cambridge, MA, is the oldest institution of higher education in the U.S.

Inventions:

Computer: The MIT Whirlwind, one of the first real-time computers, was developed at MIT in the 1940s.

Telephone: Invented by Alexander Graham Bell, who conducted his early experiments and demonstrations in Boston.

Facebook: Founded by Mark Zuckerberg in 2004, launched the social media platform from his dorm room at Harvard.

Basketball: Invented by Dr. James Naismith in Springfield, MA in 1891.

Volleyball: Invented by William G. Morgan in 1895 in Holyoke, MA as a less physically demanding alternative to basketball for older members of the YMCA. Originally called “Mintonette”. 

Marshmallow Fluff: A staple in pantries across America, this New England classic comfort food debuted in 1918 and is used to make the famous fluffernutter sandwich.

Famous People with MA Roots:

John Adams: The 2nd President of the United States and one of the Founding Fathers, born in Braintree (now Quincy), MA.

Calvin Coolidge: Mayor of Northampton, MA and 30th US President.

John F. Kennedy: MA Senator and the 35th President, born in Brookline, MA.

Theodor "Dr. Seuss" Geisel: American children's author and cartoonist. He has written and illustrated more than 60 books under the name "Dr. Seuss".

Kurt Russell: Born in Springfield, MA, his dad Bing Russell, an actor & baseball player, had relatives in Longmeadow and his grandfather, Fred Vogel, owned an insurance agency office on Converse St.!

Uma Thurman: Academy Award Winning Actress, grew up in Amherst, MA. 

Meghann Fahy: Actress, Longmeadow, MA native. Most recent notable role as Daphne Sullivan in HBO's White Lotus, Season 2. 

Brynn Cartelli: American Pop Singer/Songwriter, Longmeadow, MA native, Season 14 Winner of The Voice (also, the youngest winner in The Voice history). She has since released her debut album, OUT OF THE BLUE, in 2024.

Innovation/Fashion:

Footwear Innovations: In 1917, the Converse Rubber Shoe Company (now Converse Inc.) in Malden, MA, introduced the iconic Converse Chuck Taylor All-Star basketball shoe. Additionally, Sperry Top-Sider, known for its boat shoes, was founded here in 1935. 

Textile Mills: During the Industrial Revolution, MA was a center for textile manufacturing, producing fabrics that influenced fashion trends nationwide. Cities like Lowell & Lawrence became known for their textile mills, contributing to the growth of the garment industry.

How has Massachusetts helped shape you or your business? Now that you are pumped up about all that Massachusetts has to offer, use #NationalMassachusettsDay to share your favorite facts and level up your social & digital media presence! From tech creations like Facebook, to the literary success of Dr. Seuss, the treasures of MA are abundant and plentiful, and cater to a wide variety of audiences. For the full list of everything Massachusetts, visit morningbird.media/mass-facts!

More contributions from Robyn Miller