ConnecticutHistory.org

How can one transportation accident expose just how connected Connecticut’s travel and trade networks had become? https://connecticuthistory.org/steamboat-accident-today-in-history/

On March 29, 1876, the steamboat City of Hartford struck the Air Line Railroad Bridge in Middletown, damaging a major span and halting rail traffic until repairs could be made.

What happens when a dam failure wipes out jobs, homes, and factories in a single morning?

On March 27, 1877, the Staffordville Reservoir Company dam burst, flooding the valley for miles and putting about a thousand people out of work. https://connecticuthistory.org/bursting-of-the-staffordville-reservoir-today-in-history/

How did a Connecticut scientist help people better understand hurricanes and storm patterns?

On March 26, 1789, meteorologist William C. Redfield was born in Middletown, and his work later helped explain the rotating motion of tropical storms. https://connecticuthistory.org/william-redfield-born-today-in-history/

How did one young speaker help energize the abolitionist movement during the Civil War?

On March 24, 1863, abolitionist and women’s-rights advocate Anna Elizabeth Dickinson delivered a powerful speech at Touro Hall in Hartford supporting the Union cause and the end of slavery. https://connecticuthistory.org/anna-elizabeth-dickinson-at-touro-hall-today-in-history/

How does someone become a legend simply by walking the same route for years?

On March 20, 1889, the mysterious Leatherman is believed to have died after years of traveling a 365-mile circuit through southwestern Connecticut and New York. https://connecticuthistory.org/leatherman-dies-today-in-history/

How did a Connecticut scientist help turn dinosaur discovery into a serious field of study?

On March 18, 1899, pioneering paleontologist Othniel Charles Marsh died in New Haven after helping identify dozens of dinosaur species and reshape American science. https://connecticuthistory.org/paleontologist-othniel-charles-marsh-dies-today-in-history

Did you know New Haven hosted one of the country’s oldest St. Patrick’s Day parades?

On March 17, 1842, the New Haven Hibernian Provident Society sponsored the city’s first St. Patrick’s Day parade, beginning a tradition that still shapes Connecticut’s Irish heritage today. https://connecticuthistory.org/st-patricks-day-today-in-history/

How did international movements for women’s rights connect back to Connecticut’s own fight for equality?

The earliest observances of International Women’s Day took place on March 15, 1911, tying Connecticut’s suffrage history to a much larger global push for women’s political rights. https://connecticuthistory.org/a-day-for-women-today-in-history

What happens when a Connecticut maker wins one big government contract?

On March 9, 1799, the U.S. government issued its first pistol contract to Simeon North of Berlin, helping launch Connecticut’s rise in industrial arms manufacturing. https://connecticuthistory.org/government-orders-horse-pistols-today-in-history/

How does someone go from working with their hands to shaping global reform movements?

On March 6, 1879, Elihu Burritt, the “learned blacksmith” from New Britain, died after a life of activism tied to abolition, peace, and workers’ dignity. https://connecticuthistory.org/elihu-burritt-dies-today-in-history/

Did you know Connecticut had a governor who was also a pilot?

John H. Trumbull was born March 4, 1873, and later became known as Connecticut’s “Flying Governor,” blending public service with aviation. https://connecticuthistory.org/john-h-trumbull-connecticuts-flying-governor/