1. In 1776, the Constitution of Vermont was adopted in Westminster, officially establishing Vermont as an independent state. This constitution was one of the first in the world to ban slavery.

2. In 1864, the Confederate raid on St. Albans, Vermont took place. A group of Confederate soldiers crossed the Canadian border and robbed three banks in the small town, resulting in the death of one person and the theft of over $200,000.

3. In 1896, Vermont Senator Justin Morrill passed the Land-Grant College Act, which provided federal funding for the establishment of colleges focused on agriculture and the mechanical arts. This act helped to establish the University of Vermont as a prominent land-grant university.

4. In 1933, the Vermont State House in Montpelier was destroyed by a fire. The original building, which had been built in 1838, was replaced by the current structure that was completed in 1938.

5. In 1981, Vermont became the first state to legalize civil unions for same-sex couples. This paved the way for later legal recognition of same-sex marriage in Vermont and eventually throughout the United States.