1. On April 9, 1784, New Hampshire becomes the ninth state to ratify the Constitution of the United States, solidifying the organization of the federal government after years of debate and compromise.

2. In 1827, the town of Hanover, New Hampshire, is officially incorporated, named for the German city of Hannover, which was home to King George III of Great Britain.

3. On April 9, 1938, the Mount Washington Cog Railway, located in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, opens for its 79th season as the world's first mountain-climbing cog railway.

4. On this day in 1947, the New Hampshire Supreme Court declares that the state's anti-sodomy law is constitutional, a ruling that stands until 1975 when it is struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court in the landmark case, Lawrence v. Texas.

5. In 1973, New Hampshire Governor Meldrim Thomson signs into law a bill that lowers the state's drinking age from 21 to 18, a decision that creates controversy and contributes to numerous traffic fatalities involving young drivers under the influence. The drinking age is later raised to 19, then 20, and eventually back to 21 in 1987.