1. In 1775, a group of New Hampshire soldiers led by John Stark joined the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War. This event marked the beginning of New Hampshire's involvement in the war for independence from Great Britain.
2. On October 12, 1870, the New Hampshire State Penitentiary officially opened in Concord. The prison was designed to hold up to 160 inmates and served as the state's main correctional facility until the 1980s.
3. In 1923, the first aerial photograph of New Hampshire was taken by an Army Air Corps pilot. The photograph captured a view of Mount Washington and helped advance the field of aerial photography.
4. On October 12, 1966, the town of Franconia was hit by a devastating flood that killed 10 people and caused millions of dollars in damage. The flood was caused by heavy rains that overwhelmed the town's infrastructure and led to widespread destruction.
5. In 2007, New Hampshire became the first state in the nation to allow same-sex couples to enter into civil unions. The landmark legislation was signed into law by Governor John Lynch on October 12, 2007, and paved the way for other states to follow suit.