1. On January 6, 1853, the Hartford Courant published an editorial calling for the construction of a railroad to connect Connecticut with the Midwest. This editorial led to the creation of the New York and New Haven Railroad, which eventually became part of the larger New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad.

2. On January 6, 1903, the Yale University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences held its first classes. The school was founded to provide advanced education and training for students pursuing careers in academia, research, and other fields.

3. On January 6, 1936, the first women's basketball game was played at the University of Connecticut. The game, which was played between the UConn Huskies and the Pembroke College Bears, ended in a 30-15 victory for UConn.

4. On January 6, 1971, the Connecticut House of Representatives voted to ratify the 26th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which lowered the voting age from 21 to 18. Connecticut was one of the first states to ratify the amendment.

5. On January 6, 1999, NASA astronaut and Connecticut native Michael J. Massimino flew aboard the space shuttle Columbia on a mission to repair and upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope. Massimino, who was born in Oceanside, New York but grew up in Franklin Square, Connecticut, became the first person from the state to fly in space.