1. On August 27, 1776, Benedict Arnold, a prominent figure in Connecticut history, was appointed as a general in George Washington's Continental Army. Despite his initial successes in battle, Arnold famously defected to the British side in 1780.

2. One of Connecticut's most famous labor strikes, the New Haven Rubber Strike of 1933, began on August 27 of that year. Over 4,000 workers at the U.S. Rubber Company's New Haven plant went on strike to demand better wages and working conditions.

3. On August 27, 1962, the Hartford Whalers hockey team was founded. The Whalers, who played in the National Hockey League from 1979 to 1997, were a beloved Connecticut institution and helped to popularize the sport in the state.

4. August 27, 2003, marked the beginning of what would become one of the most significant power outages in Connecticut history. Over 2 million people lost power due to a series of severe thunderstorms, and many were left without electricity for up to a week.

5. On August 27, 2011, Hurricane Irene made landfall in Connecticut, causing extensive flooding and widespread power outages. Despite being downgraded to a tropical storm by the time it reached the state, Irene still caused significant damage and was responsible for several deaths.