Dec. 30, 1894: The first meeting is held at Christian Science’s lovely stone Mother Church in Boston. The religion’s founder, Mary Baker Eddy, a native of Bow, authorized the building of the Mother Church two years before.
Dec. 30, 1993: The state Supreme Court rules that the state has a constitutional obligation to provide adequate public education to all children. Gov. Steve Merrill says that because the state is meeting this obligation, the ruling represents no challenge to the state’s tax system.
Dec. 31, 1975: The New York Times reports that Kevin Cash, who wrote and published Who the Hell Is William Loeb?, has sold 30,000 copies of the book and has 50,000 more in print. The book is a big success in bookstores and corner groceries across the state.
Dec. 31, 1984: Concord holds its first “First Night” celebration.
Dec. 31, 1844: Town hall figures show that there were 113 deaths in Concord in 1844. Fifty of the dead were children under 10.
Dec. 31, 1979: U.S. News and World Report includes New Hampshire Executive Councilor Dudley Dudley in a list of “Americans to Watch in 1980,” because of her work for Sen. Ted Kennedy’s campaign. “A newcomer to national politics, her work for Kennedy could lead to big time,” the magazine says.
Jan. 1, 2000: About 50 people from the state and the private sector huddle in an emergency operation center in Concord, ready to respond to whatever havoc the dreaded Y2K computer glitch may bring. To their relief, the rollover of the calendar passes without incident.
Jan. 1, 1819: The Phenix Hotel, built by Abel Hutchins, opens on Main Street in Concord as “a house of entertainment.”
Jan. 1, 1865: Lewis Downing Sr. retires from Abbot & Downing, his coach and wagon company.
Jan. 2, 1784: The Legislature grants Concord official townhood.
Jan. 2, 1960: U.S. Sen. John F. Kennedy announces he will run for president. Because he is from neighboring Massachusetts, his chief rivals for the Democratic nomination – Hubert Humphrey and Stuart Symington – concede New Hampshire’s 11 convention votes to him. Neither plans to enter the state’s March 8 primary.
Jan. 3, 2000: Concord Mayor Bill Veroneau opens his fifth term in office with a pledge to explore seriously the possibility of bringing a semi-professional baseball team to the city. Before the fall, the city will announce it has landed just such a franchise: the Concord Quarry Dogs, who will play their 2001 home games at Memorial Field.
Jan. 3, 1990: Brenda Elias is sworn in as Franklin’s mayor. “The people obviously wanted a change,” says defeated incumbent Chet Wickens. “Hard work doesn’t scare me,” says Elias.
Jan. 4, 2002: Alton school officials unveiled a proposal to build a $19.2 million high school with Barnstead with classroom space for 800 students, a 600-seat auditorium and a gym with bleachers for 600, the Monitor reports.
Jan. 4, 2001: Elizabeth McLaughlin, a 101-year-old resident of Concord’s Havenwood-Heritage Heights Retirement Community, gets some extra attention for a day after being invited to the governor’s inaugural address at the State House. “It (was) a day I never expected,” McLaughlin says later. “I’m not an important girl at all.”
Jan. 5, 2003: One person is killed and three more are hurt when a possible gas explosion causes an elevated tennis court to collapse in Grantham.
Jan. 5, 2002: The Concord police found firsthand evidence of methamphetamine’s creeping presence last month in an attic crawlspace on Northeast Village Street, the Monitor reports. There, in the Heights home, officers found a pH tester and chemical bottles. Methamphetamine, also known at “crank” and “speed,” has long been a top concern for law enforcement officials in the West and Midwest. But only recently has the narcotic turned up in New England, law enforcement officials said.
Jan. 5, 2001: UNH and Maine battle to a scoreless tie in a hockey game short on scoring but nevertheless long on excitement. Perhaps the most thrilling moment (or heartbreaking, depending on your rooting interest) comes with 10 seconds to go in overtime, when Maine fails to convert despite a 3-on-1 breakaway.
