1. Connecticut became the fifth state in the U.S. on February 8, 1788. It joined the Union two years after the adoption of the U.S. Constitution, which recognized Connecticut's sovereignty and independence as a state.

2. On February 8, 1915, the first public television demonstration in the U.S. was held in Hartford, Connecticut. John Logie Baird presented his new television system, which used a mechanical scanning method and a small screen.

3. In 1972, the first women's basketball game was played at the University of Connecticut on February 8. The Huskies defeated Queens College 104-43, in a milestone event for women's sports.

4. On February 8, 1969, Connecticut Senator Thomas J. Dodd became the first person censured by the U.S. Senate in the 20th century. Dodd was charged with misusing campaign funds for personal expenses.

5. The Mark Twain House and Museum in Hartford, Connecticut, opened to the public on February 8, 1974. The famous author lived in the house for 17 years and wrote many of his iconic works, including "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" and "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" while residing there.