1. Ethan Allen was born on October 14, 1738, in Litchfield, Connecticut. He later went on to become a prominent figure in Vermont history, and is remembered as the founder of the Green Mountain Boys, the paramilitary organization that helped Vermont gain its independence from New York.

2. On October 14, 1791, Vermont became the 14th state of the United States. Prior to this, Vermont had been a contested territory between New Hampshire and New York, and had functioned as an independent republic for several years.

3. On October 14, 1824, the Champlain and Erie Canal was officially opened. This waterway connected the Hudson River in New York to Lake Champlain in Vermont, making transportation of goods easier and more efficient.

4. Vermont native Wilson "Snowflake" Bentley took his first photograph of a snowflake on October 14, 1885. Bentley, who lived in Jericho, Vermont, went on to become a renowned photographer of snowflakes and is credited with the discovery that no two snowflakes are alike.

5. In 1968, Vermont's Mount Mansfield received its first snowfall of the season on October 14th. This early snowfall broke the record for the earliest snow in the state's history, and was a sign of the long, snowy winter to come.