It did n't take long Monday for speculation to ramp up online over the timing of the Boston Marathon bombings , which came on Patriots Day , a Masschusetts state holiday commemorating the opening battles of the American Revolutionary War . The American uprising against the British in Lexington , Massachusetts , was on April 19 , 1775 , but Patriots Day is celebrated in Massachusetts and Maine on the third Monday in April , falling this year on April 15 . `` It 's a day that celebrates the free and fiercely independent spirit that this great American city of Boston has reflected from the earliest days of our nation , '' President Obama said Monday , a few hours after a pair of bombs rocked the finish line of the Boston Marathon , killing at least three and injuring dozens more . For many New Englanders , it is a day of pride that comes with historical re-enactments , the Boston Marathon , baseball and a day off for schools and government employees . It 's now a day that will go down in history along with other violent U.S. incidents in April , including the 1993 FBI siege of David Koresh 's compound in Waco , Texas , the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing , a mass shooting at Columbine High School in 1999 and the Virginia Tech massacre in 2007 . Only the Waco siege and the Oklahoma City bombing actually occurred on April 19 , the anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord . Still , to many following developments in Boston online , the proximity of Monday 's attack to the April 19 anniversaries was enough to suggest an act of domestic terrorism . `` Obviously , nobody knows anything yet , '' Esquire magazine 's Charles Pierce said , `` but I would caution folks jumping to conclusions about foreign terrorism to remember that this is the official Patriots Day holiday in Massachusetts ... and that the actual date ( April 19 ) was of some significance to , among other people , Tim McVeigh , because he fancied himself a waterer of the tree of liberty and the like . '' McVeigh and Oklahoma City bombing co-conspirator Terry Nichols were associated with the extreme right-wing and militant Patriot Movement , which rejects the legitimacy of the federal government and law enforcement . Adherents sometimes form armed militia groups and claim the right to armed self-defense against what they believe to be an oppressive government . McVeigh said he targeted the Federal Building in Oklahoma City to avenge the raid on Waco . Despite commonly held beliefs , it 's unclear whether the Columbine shooters timed that attack to mark either Adolf Hitler 's birthday or the Waco incident . Time Washington correspondent Alex Altman also noted Patriots Day 's `` significance '' to the `` militia movement '' in a tweet that was shared 507 times . He also mentioned the Oklahoma City bombing anniversary . In a subsequent tweet , he clarified that `` OKC was on Apr . 19 , anniversary of the Battles of Lexington & Concord , which are celebrated in Mass as Patriots Day . '' But is there really something about this time of the year that makes domestic terrorism more prevalent ? `` I have seen nothing to suggest that anything about April itself makes people violent , '' Robert Blaskiewicz , who runs the blog Skeptical Humanities , said in a 2011 interview with CNN about the 20-year anniversary of the siege of the Waco compound . `` That said , the reason why we see certain types of political violence in mid- to late April is because of a few unhappy coincidences : that Waco happened to fall on the anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord , the first battles in a war against a tyrannical oppressor . `` For many people who labor under the idea that the federal government is a tyrannical foreign oppressor like the British monarchy , Waco symbolizes a war of a government against its people . '' In the mythology that has grown up around Waco and Oklahoma City among self-identified patriots , he said `` the 19th has become a sort of high holiday for those who think that they live under the thumb of a tyranny . '' But , as the injury count continues to rise in Boston , the prevailing sentiment is sorrow and solidarity . `` Do n't know what to say . Everyone who grew up in and around Boston has been at the finish line on Patriots Day . Could have been any of us , '' tweeted Frank Dale , digital editor for ESPN 's `` Mike And Mike in the Morning '' show . President Obama offered a nod to the city 's strength . `` Boston is a tough and resilient town , so are its people , '' he said . `` I 'm supremely confident that Bostonians will pull together , take care of each other , and move forward as one proud city . `` And , as they do , the American people will be with them every single step of the way . ''
Patriots Day in Massachusetts commemorates opening battles of American Revolution on April 19 . Boston Marathon is always held on Patriots Day , which falls on third Monday in April . April 19 is anniversary of 1993 FBI siege of Waco compound , 1995 Oklahoma City bombing . Expert : April 19 is a `` high holiday '' for those who think they live `` under the thumb '' of tyranny .