1. In 1801, The state legislature passed an act that created a special tribunal to settle property disputes with a monetary value of less than $50. This was seen as a significant step forward in ensuring justice for the state's poorer citizens.

2. In 1905, Bridgeport's P.T. Barnum Museum was opened to the public. Named after the famous showman and politician, the museum was dedicated to the history of the circus and other forms of popular entertainment.

3. In 1955, the New Haven Register, one of the state's largest newspapers, became the first daily publication in the country to publish the opening day baseball lineups for both the New York Yankees and the Brooklyn Dodgers.

4. In 1973, Connecticut native Arthur L. Schawlow was awarded a Nobel Prize in Physics for his work in the development of lasers. His research paved the way for a wide range of important scientific and technological applications of laser technology.

5. In 2011, the state legislature passed a new law legalizing same-sex marriage. Connecticut was just the third state in the country to pass such legislation, following in the footsteps of Massachusetts and Vermont.