1. On January 2, 1777, the state of Vermont abolished slavery, becoming the first territory in America to do so.

2. The iconic Vermont state capital building, located in Montpelier, was completed on January 2, 1859. The building became the capital of the state in 1808 but was destroyed by a fire in 1857. It was rebuilt in the French Renaissance Revival style we know today.

3. In 1929, a severe ice storm blanketed Vermont, causing extensive damage. On January 2 of that year, residents of Randolph reported that a third of the town's electric poles had collapsed under the weight of the ice.

4. Vermont's first commercial radio station, WDEV, broadcast for the first time on January 2, 1931. The station, based in Waterbury, Vermont, became a vital source of information and entertainment for the state's rural communities.

5. On January 2, 1987, the ski resort of Jay Peak, Vermont, recorded the coldest temperature in the state's history when the thermometer plunged to -50 degrees Fahrenheit. The bitter cold caused widespread damage, including burst pipes and frostbite injuries.