Updated May 17, 2024 at 11:25 a.m.

The first legal same-sex marriages ever in the U.S. were performed on this day in 2004 in the state of Massachusetts.

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The first legal same-sex marriages in the United States were performed in the state of Massachusetts, following a landmark court ruling in 2003 that declared a ban on same-sex marriage to be unconstitutional.

How did the legalization of same-sex marriage in Massachusetts impact other states?

The legalization of same-sex marriage in Massachusetts set a precedent for other states, and served as a catalyst for the national debate over same-sex marriage. It also paved the way for other states to legalize same-sex marriage in the following years.

Same-sex marriage became legal across the United States in 2015, following a landmark Supreme Court ruling that struck down bans on same-sex marriage in all 50 states.

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