1. On December 17, 1847, the Connecticut State Capitol building in Hartford was completed. The construction of the building took 13 years and cost $2.4 million.

2. The Connecticut General Assembly approved the ratification of the 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution on December 17, 1865. The amendment abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime.

3. On December 17, 1903, Wilbur Wright made his first powered flight in Connecticut. He flew for 9 minutes and covered a distance of 3.5 miles in the city of Simsbury.

4. Harry Connick Jr., the famous singer and actor, was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, on December 17, 1967. He attended the University of Connecticut for a short time before pursuing a career in music.

5. On December 17, 2012, the town of Newtown, Connecticut, was shaken by a mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in which 26 people were killed, including 20 children. The tragedy sparked nationwide debates about gun control and mental health policy.