It was nearly 100 years ago when the shooting death of Seymour First Selectman Ray Gilliard occurred in his Town Hall office. He called the telephone operator, said he had been shot, described his assailants, and asked for police and a doctor to be dispatched. Then, the line went dead. The outcome of the investigation shocked virtually everybody in town. Telling the story is Naugatuck Valley historian Robert Novak.

Connecticut is the home of many inventions. One that's of particular interest is the first robot. The first industrial robot ever placed on a production line was built in Danbury and spearheaded by the holder of the patent (George Devol, of Wilton) and the marketing mastermind who found the markets and promoted the invention (Joseph Engelberger, of Newtown). Engelberger, known as “the father of robotics,” also spearheaded the first use of robots in hospitals. Hear the story behind the development of robots with Newtown Historical Society President Ben Cruson.

Today, we often hear of building collapses, with workers or members of the public trapped underneath debris. One of the first such incidents to capture the public’s attention was the collapse of the L’Ambiance apartment building while it was under construction in Bridgeport in 1987. Tons of concrete slab floors were being hoisted into place, while workers tended to their tasks beneath them. The concrete floors fell, pancake style, landing on top of 28 workers. None survived. It was the worst disaster in the city’s history, and one of the worst in state history. The 37-year-old incident is remembered by the man who was Mayor of Bridgeport at that time, the Honorable Thomas Bucci.