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
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