1. In 1776, the Connecticut Assembly declared its independence from Great Britain, setting the stage for the state's key role in the American Revolution.

2. On May 18, 1896, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Plessy v. Ferguson that state-imposed racial segregation was constitutional, a decision that would have a devastating impact on civil rights in Connecticut and across the country.

3. In 1933, Connecticut became the first state to pass a law mandating a minimum wage, a progressive measure that helped to raise standards of living for working families.

4. On May 18, 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down its historic decision in Brown v. Board of Education, striking down separate but equal segregation in public schools and providing a major boost to the civil rights movement.

5. In 1965, a massive tornado ripped through the town of Bridgeport, Connecticut, killing seven people and causing widespread destruction. The tornado remains one of the most deadly and destructive weather events in state history.