In April 1787, five Shays men charged with treason were condemned to hang. In the election of June 1787, Governor Bowdoin was roundly defeated by the state's most popular politician, John Hancock, famous signer of the Declaration.
Mardi Gras: Carnival celebrated around the world. A reveler wearing a traditional carnival mask takes part in Shrovetide celebrations in Rumsiskes village, some 56 miles north of Vilnius, Lithuania on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017. Shrovetide is a traditional Lithuanian holiday marking the end of winter, one of the merriest events in Lithuania.
New Orleans. Mardi Gras, which is French for Fat Tuesday, is a big festival that takes place the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent -- a symbolic period of fasting and penance for many Christians. The two weeks before Fat Tuesday are the most festive. Local carnival organizations called krewes, the first of which dates to 1857, hold almost nonstop balls and parades.