November 6 (1836)Philosopher Francis Ellingwood Abbott born. The Bostonian would aim to recocile theology with the scientific method.

November 7(1904) Boston alderman James Michael Curley imprisoned for taking a civil service examination “for a friend.” He was re-elected while serving his 60-day sentence. He would go on to become a congressman, Massachusetts governor, and Boston mayor.

(1978) Boston Red Sox outfielder Jim Rice wins AL MVP.

November 8(1960)Democratic Massachusetts Senator John F. Kennedy defeats Vice President Richard M. Nixon in the U.S. presidential election.

November 9-10(1872)Sixty-five acres of Boston’s business district are destroyed by the city’s Great Fire. Two years later, Boston would finish rebuiling nearly its entire downtown area.

November 11(1620) A day before landing in Massachusetts, passengers aboard the vessel Mayflower drew up an agreement to form a “civic body politic.” The Mayflower Compact would later be interpreted as an early precedent for democracy in America.

November 12(1986)Boston Red Sox ace Roger Clemens wins his first Cy Young Award. The pitcher would go on to pitch masterfully for the Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, and Houston Astros, establishing himself as one of baseball’s all-time greats.