1. In 1674, the first municipal court in Connecticut was established in New Haven. This court instituted a system of local governance that continues to this day.

2. On May 2, 1861, the Connecticut State Guard was officially established by order of Governor William A. Buckingham. This state militia served on the Union side during the American Civil War.

3. In 1931, the Merritt Parkway officially opened to the public. This road, which runs through Connecticut and New York, was the first limited-access highway in the United States.

4. On May 2, 1996, a one-day strike by teachers in Bridgeport, Connecticut resulted in the shutdown of schools throughout the city. The strike was the result of ongoing disputes between the teachers' union and the city's school board over salary and benefits.

5. In 1969, the Connecticut General Assembly passed a law legalizing abortion in cases where the life or health of the mother was in danger, or in cases of rape or incest. The law was groundbreaking at the time, and remained in effect until the US Supreme Court's 1973 decision in Roe v. Wade.