In the spirit of celebrating our local history, the revolutionary people and the visit-worthy places, we invite you to learn about these five historic firsts connected to Worcester, Massachusetts.
The “first American Revolution” took place on September 6, 1774, when 4,622 people from Worcester and the surrounding towns in Worcester County gathered and peacefully seized control of the government, ending Royal authority in Worcester County for good. Learn more about Worcester's role in the revolution, and check out opportunities to celebrate the 250th Anniversary of the Revolution in Central MA.
Worcester held the first National Women’s Rights Convention on October 23, 1850, with Susan B. Anthony among the attendees. It attracted more than 1,000 suffrage supporters from throughout the Northeast, Midwest, and California. Worcester produced as well as hosted many notable suffragettes, and multiple locations are included on the Historic Women Trailblazers of Massachusetts Trail.
The first liquid fuel rocket launch took place in Auburn in 1926 by Worcester Professor Dr. Robert Goddard, who later worked in Roswell, New Mexico, for the U.S. Government. Known as the “Father of Modern Rocketry,” Goddard's work and achievements would eventually lead to the dawn of the Space Age. A Worcester native, Goddard attended college at Worcester Polytechnic Institute and later taught physics at Clark University, where he earned his doctorate and carried out rocket experiments.
The first American Nobel Prize Winner in Physics, Albert A. Michelson, of Clark University’s Physics Department (1890-1892), won in 1907 for his measurement of light. Born in Prussia, his family emigrated to the United States just two years later.
The classic smiley face originated in Worcester in 1964 at “The State Mutual Life Assurance Company of America,” created by local graphic designer Harvey Ball. You can visit the Museum of Worcester to see Ball’s smiley ephemera and learn more about the man behind the infamous smile.
