1. In 1742, a French expedition led by Captain Pierre Legardeur de Repentigny set foot on Connecticut soil, marking the first time French troops came to the region. The expedition was unsuccessful in its objective of capturing the British fortress at Louisbourg in Nova Scotia, but it made an impact on Connecticut's colonial history.

2. On February 16, 1815, the center of the universe was discovered in Hartford by a self-taught astronomer named Amos Root. Root built a telescope for the purpose of determining the center of the universe, and after a long period of observing, he concluded that the universe's center was located in Connecticut. Although Root's theory was later disproven, it remains an interesting footnote in the state's scientific history.

3. In 1835, a group of Hartford women founded the Hartford Female Seminary, one of the first schools in the country specifically for the education of women. The school was notable for its progressive curriculum, which included courses in science, literature, and mathematics. The seminary eventually evolved into the prestigious Hartford College for Women.

4. February 16, 1960, saw a major milestone in the civil rights movement when a group of African American students in Greensboro, North Carolina, staged a sit-in at a segregated lunch counter. Inspired by the action, a group of students at Central Connecticut State College in New Britain staged a similar protest a few days later, which helped to kickstart the movement for desegregated public spaces in Connecticut.

5. On February 16, 2005, a massive snowstorm struck Connecticut, dumping more than two feet of snow across the state and causing massive disruptions to travel and commerce. The storm was so severe that it was declared a federal disaster, resulting in more than $20 million in federal aid being allocated to the state for cleanup and recovery efforts.