1. The Battle of New London: On August 15, 1781, during the Revolutionary War, the British attacked the coastal city of New London, Connecticut. The Americans were overpowered, and the British burned down most of the town, including several homes and warehouses.

2. Prohibition Ends: On August 15, 1933, Connecticut became the 25th state to officially ratify the 21st amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which ended prohibition and allowed for the sale and consumption of alcohol once again.

3. The Hartford Circus Fire: On August 15, 1944, one of the deadliest circus disasters in history occurred in Hartford, Connecticut. The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus was in town, and during its afternoon performance, a fire broke out that killed 167 people and injured over 700.

4. The Hartford Whalers' First Game: On August 15, 1979, the NHL's Hartford Whalers played their first ever preseason game, beating the Washington Capitals 3-1. The Whalers would go on to become a beloved New England sports team until they moved to North Carolina in 1997.

5. The Guilford Four Exonerated: On August 15, 1989, the "Guilford Four" - four Irish men who had been wrongly convicted of an IRA bombing in Guilford, England in 1974 - were released from prison after serving 15 years. The case was a major miscarriage of justice, and the men's release was a cause for celebration both in Ireland and in Connecticut's large Irish-American community.