1. In 1863, Connecticut Governor William Buckingham signed a bill abolishing slavery in the state, making it one of the first states to do so.

2. In 1873, the Barnum & Bailey Circus was founded in Bridgeport, Connecticut by circus impresario P.T. Barnum and circus owner James A. Bailey.

3. In 1948, the Connecticut Supreme Court issued its landmark ruling in the case of State v. Mandell, which interpreted the state's anti-bribery law as covering a wide range of corrupt political practices.

4. In 1970, U.S. Senator Thomas J. Dodd of Connecticut was censured by the Senate for using campaign funds for personal expenses, including the purchase of a home and a swimming pool.

5. In 2009, Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell signed into law a measure legalizing civil unions for same-sex couples, making it the third state after Vermont and Connecticut to offer such legal recognition.