Boston, Massachusetts

Demographics:

• There are 609,023 people living in Boston
• There are 248,257 households within the city limits
• The median income in Boston is $50,476
• People who live in Boston have a 617 or 857 area code (Find a phone number in Boston here)

Many famous people have lived in Boston, including:
Harriet Tubman, Malcolm X, Samuel Adams, Aerosmith, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Benjamin Franklin, Madeleine Kahn, Jack Lemon, Leonard Nimoy, Paul Revere, Donna Summer, James Taylor, Mark Wahlberg, Barbara Walters

Historical Notes:
The first casualty of the American Revolution occurred in Boston. On March 5th, 1770 Crispus Attucks was shot by a British solider in an event that would later be known as the Boston Massacre.

During the American Revolution, Paul Revere rode a horse from Boston to Lexington to warn people that British troops were advancing.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. attended Boston University while working towards his doctorate.

The history of Boston dates back to 1630 when a group of Puritans from England arrived and founded the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The city was named after a town in England where many of the Puritans had previously lived. These settlers quickly built an admirable city and established two highly respected educational facilities: the Boston Latin School and Harvard University.

Early Boston residents played a key role in the events that led to the American Revolution, including The Boston Tea Party and Boston Massacre. So many events occurred in the area that Boston came to be known as the Cradle of Liberty. Following the war, Boston experienced a booming economy, largely due to the tobacco, rum and salt industries.

In 1872 a massive fire damaged a good portion of the city. Over 65 acres of land and 750 buildings were scorched during the blaze, and estimates place the amount of the damage at more than $60 million. John Damrell, the Fire Chief at the time, is generally recognized as being the man who brought the fire under control. He also played an important part in rebuilding the city and making sure it adhered to building codes that would help prevent another tragedy.

Today Boston is a thriving center of commerce, favorable place to live and popular tourist attraction. People from all over the world visit every year to enjoy its modern attractions and historical sites.