1. In 1775, New Hampshire became the first colony to establish an independent government and constitution, paving the way for the eventual formation of the United States.

2. On this day in 1817, Samuel Morey, a pioneer in steamboat technology, died in Orford. Morey was instrumental in developing the first steamboat to navigate the waters of the Connecticut River.

3. April 29, 1854 saw the founding of Franklin Pierce University in Rindge, New Hampshire. The university is named after the state's only president, Franklin Pierce, who served from 1853 to 1857.

4. In 1914, the famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright visited New Hampshire to supervise the construction of a summer home in the town of Dublin. The home, known as the "Zimmerman House," is now a museum and open to the public.

5. On April 29, 2005, New Hampshire Governor John Lynch signed legislation making the state the first in the nation to require presidential candidates to file their tax returns in order to appear on the ballot. The law has since been challenged and struck down by the courts.