The pronounciation of Worcester is actually something like "Woos-tah". Something that is
wickedly impossible to pronounce right, and the locals will always spot it.
Someone who can definitely pronounce it correctly is Denis Leary, although most people think that he is from Boston. Some other famous people that have lived, played or worked here are Jerome Geils from the J. Geils Band that was formed while the bandmembers attended WPI, and Robert Hutchings Goddard, the rocket pioneer who attended WPI and became a professor at Clark.
While in Worcester, check out the Worcester Art Museum which is the second largest museum in New England, or the Higgins Armory. Of note is also Elm Park, which was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, the designer of later fame for his design of Central Park in New York.
A tragic accident that stirred much commotion, the Worcester Fire happened on 3 December 1999. Two homeless people started a fire in an abandoned warehouse and fled out of fear for being charged with arson. They did not report the fire, so the firemen were under the impression that the two were still in the building when they started extinguishing the fire. Six firemen were killed in the line of duty.