1. On March 15, 1767, Connecticut passed a law banning the use of "English grain" in the production of beer. Instead, brewers were required to use barley or other grains grown in the colonies. This law was part of a broader effort to promote colonial agriculture and reduce dependence on British imports.

2. In 1818, the Connecticut State House of Representatives voted against a proposal to grant voting rights to African American men. The vote was 89 to 46, and the decision reinforced Connecticut's reputation as a relatively conservative state when it came to civil rights.

3. On March 15, 1876, the Hartford Courant reported that Samuel Clemens (aka Mark Twain) had returned to Hartford after a five-month trip to Europe. While abroad, Clemens had met with other famous writers such as Robert Browning and had developed the idea for his most famous novel, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

4. In 1939, the Connecticut General Assembly passed a law banning the sale, possession, or use of marijuana in the state. Connecticut was one of the first states to enact such a law, and it served as a model for other states that would soon follow suit.

5. On March 15, 1999, the Connecticut Supreme Court ruled that the state's death penalty was unconstitutional because it violated the principle of equal protection under the law. The ruling commuted the sentences of all inmates on death row, and Connecticut became the first state in the nation to abolish the death penalty in the modern era.