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Cambridge, Massachusetts

Located in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Cambridge was founded in 1630. Harvard (1636) and MIT (1861) are both in Cambridge — perhaps the greatest concentration of academic talent in the world. Kendall Square in Cambridge is considered the biotech capital of the world.

Founded 1630 | Population 118,977 | Peak 118,977 (2024) | County Middlesex County

Top 10 Most Important Events for Cambridge, Massachusetts

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1636 Harvard Founded: Oldest university in America established.

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1776 Washington Takes Command: George Washington takes command of Continental Army on Cambridge Common.

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1861 MIT Founded: Massachusetts Institute of Technology established.

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1953 DNA Structure: Watson and Crick work at Harvard; DNA era begins in Cambridge.

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2000 Biotech Capital: Kendall Square becomes world's biotech capital.

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2010 Tech Hub: Google, Microsoft, Amazon establish major offices.

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Latest News in Cambridge

Pattern of Deaths and Disappearances Among U.S. Scientists Sparks Calls for Federal Scrutiny

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Remember Woman who Sued 8 Year Old Nephew 127000 Over Hug Verdict

BOSTON, Nov. 20, 2015 — In a case that left people scratching their heads, a Massachusetts woman took her 8-year-old nephew to c…

Couple Gets Over 2300 Years Prison Child Pornography

BOSTON (October 28, 2015) — In a case that left many stunned by its severity, a Massachusetts couple was sentenced to a combined…

Complete Historical Timeline

1636 Culture

Harvard Founded

1776 Politics

Washington Takes Command

1861 Culture

MIT Founded

1953 Science

DNA Structure

2000 Science

Biotech Capital

2010 Business

Tech Hub

Did You Know?

1

Harvard (1636) and MIT (1861) are both in Cambridge — perhaps the greatest concentration of academic talent in the world.

2

Kendall Square in Cambridge is considered the biotech capital of the world.

3

More Nobel laureates are affiliated with Cambridge institutions than almost any city on Earth.

4

Cambridge is located in Middlesex County, Massachusetts.

5

Cambridge was founded in 1630.

Famous People from Cambridge, Massachusetts

MD

Matt Damon

Screenwriter, Actor · Born Oct 8, 1970 · Age 55

PB

Percy Williams Bridgman

Physicist, University Teacher · Born Apr 21, 1882 · Died Aug 20, 1961 (age 79)

CP

Charles Sanders Peirce

Physicist, Mathematician · Born Sep 10, 1839 · Died Apr 19, 1914 (age 74)

EC

E. E. Cummings

Writer, Poet · Born Oct 14, 1894 · Died Sep 3, 1962 (age 67)

OH

Oliver Wendell Holmes

Writer, Physician · Born Aug 29, 1809 · Died Oct 7, 1894 (age 85)

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