🇺🇸This Week In History - The Boston Massacre

Welcome back History Nerds,

What a whirlwind life has been recently, and this week in history was absolutely no different. From Wilt Chamberlain dropping 100 points in a single NBA game to a snowball fight that started the Boston Massacre. We’ve kept this one to a quick 5 minute read, so make sure you get all the way through to the end to learn about Michelangelo.

Did You Know? On May 17, 1792, two dozen stockbrokers signed the Buttonwood Agreement, officially creating what would become the New York Stock Exchange. Their first trades? Mostly government bonds and bank stocks—not exactly the meme stocks of today.

During Your History Lesson You’ll Learn About:

• Chamberlain Drops 100 Pts In NBA Game

• The Snowball Fight That Led To The Boston Massacre

• Abe Takes The Oath

• How Michelangelo Became A Ninja Turtle

Wilt Chamberlain Drops 100 Points

On March 2, 1962, Wilt Chamberlain made history, scoring 100 points for the Philadelphia Warriors against the New York Knicks in Hershey, Pennsylvania. The Warriors won 169-147, but the scoreline was just background noise to Wilt’s jaw-dropping night. Standing 7’1” and already averaging 50.4 points per game that season, Chamberlain put on a clinic: 36 field goals out of 63 attempts and 28 free throws out of 32. The game, played in front of 4,124 fans in a town famous for chocolate, became the stuff of legend.

The Knicks couldn’t stop him. They fouled him, swarmed him with defenders, and watched helplessly as he kept scoring. By the fourth quarter, the crowd was electric—cheering every basket, urging teammates to pass him the ball. With 46 seconds left, Wilt sealed the century mark with a dunk, and fans rushed the court in excitement. The PA announcer had to plead for order just to finish the game. No video survives, but a radio broadcast captured the chaos, and a famous photo shows Wilt holding a paper marked “100”—proof of a feat that still echoes.

This wasn’t a fluke night. Chamberlain played all 48 minutes, racking up points without a single three-pointer, relying entirely on two-pointers and free throws. After the game, he grabbed a bite and relaxed, as if scoring 100 was no big deal. The NBA record remains unbroken, with Kobe Bryant’s 81 points in 2006 the closest anyone’s come. On March 2, 1962, Wilt Chamberlain didn’t just dominate—he carved his name into basketball history with a performance that’s still unmatched.

The Snowball Fight That Led To The Boston Massacre

On March 5, 1770, tensions between British soldiers and colonists in Boston reached a boiling point. A group of colonists, fed up with British rule, started harassing a group of Redcoats near the Custom House. What began with shouting and snowballs escalated as the crowd grew more aggressive. Feeling threatened, the soldiers opened fire, killing five colonists, including Crispus Attucks, the first casualty of the American Revolution.

News of the Boston Massacre spread quickly, thanks in part to Paul Revere’s engraving, which depicted the event as a cold-blooded execution. Patriots like Samuel Adams used the killings to fuel anti-British sentiment. The British soldiers involved were put on trial, with John Adams defending them. Two soldiers were convicted of manslaughter, but for many colonists, the massacre became a rallying cry for independence.

The Boston Massacre wasn’t the start of the revolution, but it lit the fuse. Within five years, the colonies were in full rebellion, and by 1776, the United States declared independence. What started as a snowball fight ended up shaping American history, proving that sometimes, one bad night changes everything.

Trivia Time

In every issue of LOL History, we take a break from sharing historical events to bring you a quirky trivia section. Get ready to challenge your brain and impress your friends with some seriously weird knowledge

The Day Abe Lincoln Was Inaugurated

On March 4, 1861, Abraham Lincoln was sworn in as the 16th U.S. President, sporting his classic beard and stovepipe hat. The country was already fracturing—seven Southern states had seceded by this point, pulling away from the Union with firm resolve. Lincoln’s inauguration speech aimed to hold things together: “We are not enemies, but friends,” he declared, urging unity in a nation on edge. The plea didn’t halt the slide—the Civil War began a month later—but his first day in office marked the start of a defining leadership.

The event unfolded under heavy guard. Lincoln arrived in Washington, D.C., amid whispers of assassination threats, and took the oath on the Capitol’s East Portico before a divided crowd. At 6’4”, he stood tall, delivering a measured address that called for calm and connection. The South rejected the message, and tensions soon erupted into conflict. A photograph from that day captures Lincoln, steady and composed, evidence of a man stepping into a storm with purpose.

This was no ordinary start. Lincoln led through all four years of his first term, guiding the nation through war while crafting enduring words that still resonate. After the ceremony, he moved into the White House, ready to tackle the crisis ahead. His path to preserving the Union and ending slavery began here.

Michelangelo: The Sculptor, The Painter, The Ninja Turtle

On March 6, 1475, one of the greatest artists in history, Michelangelo Buonarroti, was born in the Republic of Florence. From a young age, it was clear he wasn’t just another painter—he was a once-in-a-lifetime genius. By his early 20s, he had already carved the Pietà, a sculpture so lifelike that people refused to believe a young artist had made it. Not wanting to go unnoticed, Michelangelo famously snuck into the church and carved his name on it—just to make sure everyone knew. Then came David, a 17-foot-tall marble masterpiece that became the gold standard for Renaissance art, proving that Michelangelo wasn’t just good—he was in a league of his own.

His most famous work, the Sistine Chapel ceiling, nearly broke him. Four years of painting on his back, over 300 figures, and paint dripping into his eyes—but the result was nothing short of legendary. Michelangelo didn’t just create art; he changed the way people saw it. Before him, sculptures were stiff and lifeless, but he brought them to life. His work set the standard for realism, movement, and human emotion in art, inspiring artists for centuries. Even today, painters, sculptors, and architects look to Michelangelo’s work for guidance, proving that his influence didn’t just shape the Renaissance—it shaped art itself.

More than 500 years later, Michelangelo’s fingerprints are everywhere. From modern architecture to Hollywood movies, his vision still shapes how we think about beauty, creativity, and artistic mastery. His designs for St. Peter’s Basilica influenced generations of architects, and his ability to push the limits of human expression still inspires artists around the world. Oh, and if you needed further proof of his lasting impact—his name lives on in a pizza-loving, nunchuck-spinning Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. Not bad for a guy who once claimed he wasn’t even a real painter.

More Interesting Content To Learn About! 

• The Time America Almost Bought Greenland in 1946 (Learn More)

• The U.S. Town That Elected a Goat as Mayor (Learn More)

• The Time a Monkey Was Tried and Hanged for Being a Spy (Learn More)

We hope that you enjoyed this edition of the LOL History newsletter! See you next week!

— Evan & Derek - LOL History Co-Founders

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