CONNECTICUT RADIO SOCIETY
Connecticut
Facts
Last update was: AUGUST 8, 2000
State of Connecticut Facts and Figures
HISTORY
1633 First settlement 1639 Adopted original State Constitution 1788 Adopted U.S. Constitution (5th state) 1965 Adopted current State Constitution
MOTTO
Qui Transtulit Sustinet He Who Transplanted Still Sustains
GOVERNMENT
Governor John G. Rowland State Representatives 151 State Senators 36 U.S. Representatives 6 U.S. Senators 2
ECONOMY
Gross State Product (1997) $130.86 billion Per Capita Income (1998) $37,598 Median Household Effective Buying Income (1998) $49,393 Per Capita Retail Sales (1998) $11,091 Manufacturers (1996) 6,165 Farms (1995) 3,800 Housing Units (1997) 1,374,566 Corporations Domestic (1997) 109,978 Foreign (1997) 20,804 Population (1998) 3,274,069
HIGHER EDUCATION
Public Universities 5 Community/Technical Colleges 12 Private 4-Year Colleges & Universities 19 Private 2-Year Colleges & Universities 6 U.S. Service Academy (Coast Guard) 1
MEDIA
Newspapers (1997) 144 TV Stations (1997) 11 Radio Stations AM (1997) 32 FM (1997) 40
TRANSPORTATION
Major Commercial Airports (1997) 4 Airports (1997) 53 Heliports 60 Seaplane Bases (1997) 7 Major Seaports (1997) 4
State of Connecticut Fun Facts
FAMOUS FIRSTS
1639 First written constitution- "The Fundamental Orders"
1656 First public library-New Haven
1775 First submarine, launched by David Bushnell of Saybrook
1777 First trimmed and illuminated Christmas tree-Windsor Locks
1780 First U.S. traitor-Benedict Arnold of Norwich
1784 First law school, founded by Tapping Reeve in Litchfield
1794 First cotton gin, by New Haven's Eli Whitney
1796 First American cookbook, by Amelia Simmons,
published in Hartford
1796 First U.S. statehouse-Hartford
1806 First dictionary, by West Hartford's Noah Webster
1846 First U.S. amusement park-Lake Compounce Theme Park, Bristol
1873 First football game, played at Yale
1875 First agricultural experiment station in the U.S., New Haven
1878 First telephone exchange, 21 subscribers in New Haven
1881 First three-ring circus, staged by Bethel's P.T. Barnum
1903 First municipal rose garden in the U.S., Hartford's
Elizabeth Park Rose Garden
1954 First nuclear submarine, The Nautilus, Groton
1975 First woman elected governor, Ella Grasso
STATE SYMBOLS
State Insect-Praying Mantis
State Bird-American Robin
State Tree-Charter Oak
State Gem-Garnet
State Flower-Mountain Laurel
State Shellfish-Eastern Oyster
State Hero-Nathan Hale
State Ship-USS Nautilus
State Song-"Yankee Doodle"
INVENTED IN CONNECTICUT
Colt revolver: 1836
Portable typewriter: 1843
Sewing machine: 1846
Ice-making machine: 1853
Can opener: 1858
Tape measure: 1868
Pay phone: 1877
Collapsible toothpaste tube: 1892
Hamburger: 1895
Electric light socket with pull chain: 1896
Erector set: 1911
Frisbee: 1920
Vacuum cleaner: 1933
Polaroid camera: 1934
Helicopter: 1939
Color television: 1948
