Today in Rhode Island History
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Historical Events
Results 1 - 19 of 19
1631-02-05 - Rhode Island, founder, Roger Williams arrives in Boston from England
1636-07-04 - City of Providence, Rhode Island form
1644-03-14 - England grants patent for Providence Plantations (now Rhode Island)
1652-05-18 - Rhode Island enacts 1st law declaring slavery illegal
1663-07-08 - King Charles II of England grants a charter to Rhode Island
1664-03-24 - Roger Williams is granted a charter to colonize Rhode Island
1675-11-02 - A combined attack by the Plymouth, Rhode Island, Massachusetts Bay and Connecticut colonies attacks the Great Swamp Fort, owned by the Narragansetts during King Philip's War.
1761-06-10 - Puritan version of "Othello" opens in Newport Rhode Island
1772-06-10 - Burning of Gaspée, British revenue cutter, by Rhode Islanders
1774-06-13 - Rhode Island becomes 1st colony to prohibit importation of slaves
1776-05-04 - Rhode Island declares independence from England
1776-12-31 - Rhode Island establishes wage & price controls to curb inflation: Limit is 70 cents a day for carpenters, 42 cents for tailors
1778-02-28 - Rhode Island General Assembly authorizes enlistment of slaves
1798-12-14 - David Wilkinson of Rhode Island patents a nut & bolt machine
1932-09-16 - 30.8 cm rainfall at Westerly, Rhode Island (state record)
1942-01-11 - -23°F (-31°C), Kingston, Rhode Island (state record)
1975-08-02 - 104°F (40°C) at Providence, Rhode Island (state record)
1987-11-05 - Iceberg twice size of Rhode Island sighted in Antarctic
2003-02-20 - During a Great White concert in West Warwick, Rhode Island, a pyrotechnics display sets the club ablaze, killing 100 and injuring over 300 others.
Famous Birthdays
Results 1 - 14 of 14
1586-08-14 - William Hutchinson, Rhode Island colonist (d. 1642)
1799-11-03 - William Sprague III, American politician from Rhode Island (d. 1856)
1830-09-12 - William Sprague, governor of Rhode Island (1859-63)
1841-11-06 - Nelson W. Aldrich, U.S. Senator from Rhode Island (d. 1915)
1922-10-22 - John H Chafee, (Sen-R-Rhode Island, 1976- )
1942-12-16 - Donald Carcieri, American politician, governor of Rhode Island
1948-07-13 - Ronald K Machtley, (Rep-R-Rhode Island)
1949-11-12 - Jack Reed, (Rep-D-Rhode Island)
1953-03-26 - Lincoln Chafee, American Senator from Rhode Island
1973-04-12 - Claudia Jordan, Miss USA-Rhode Island (1997, top 10)
1975-02-04 - Elana Eve Chomiszak, Providence RI, Miss America-Rhode Island (1997)
1976-02-03 - Karen Bradley, Miss Rhode Island USA (1996)
1979-07-03 - Lauren Alviti, Miss Rhode Island Teen USA (1997)
1980-06-24 - Kelly Dutra, Miss Rhode Island Teen USA (1996)
Famous Deaths
Results 1 - 2 of 2
1678-11-01 - William Coddington, first Governor of Rhode Island (b. 1601)
1856-10-19 - William Sprague III, American politician from Rhode Island (b. 1799)
