1. On September 12, 1972, a United Airlines Flight 553 crashed near Chicago's Midway International Airport, killing all 45 people on board. Among them was Connecticut resident Dorothy Hunt, wife of E. Howard Hunt, who was part of the infamous Watergate scandal.

2. In 1951, Connecticut state trooper Leo J. Motyka died in the line of duty on September 12. He was killed in a car accident while pursuing a speeding vehicle in Granby.

3. The Connecticut State Fair was held on September 12, 1962, at the former State Fairgrounds in West Springfield. The fair, which had run annually since 1916, was a popular event for Connecticut residents until it was relocated to a new site in 1976.

4. On September 12, 1781, American forces under the command of General Rochambeau joined with French forces under the command of General Washington in a march towards Yorktown, Virginia. This would prove to be a turning point in the American Revolution, as the joint forces would successfully defeat the British army in the Battle of Yorktown just a few weeks later.

5. The Groton Monument, which commemorates the Battle of Groton Heights during the Revolutionary War, was dedicated on September 12, 1830. The monument stands 135 feet tall and is the oldest lighthouse in Connecticut.