1. The Rhode Island Lottery was established on April 2, 1974, making the state the first in the United States to offer a statewide lottery. The first game was called "The Lot" and was drawn on May 14, 1974.

2. On April 2, 1790, the town of Bristol, Rhode Island was incorporated. Today, Bristol is known for its beautiful coastline, historic homes, and the annual Fourth of July parade, which is the oldest continuous Independence Day celebration in the United States.

3. In 1917, the Rhode Island State Board of Education approved a plan to build a new school of nursing at Rhode Island Hospital. The school was officially opened on April 2, 1923, and was named the Rhode Island Hospital School of Nursing. The school closed in 1979, but many of its graduates went on to have successful careers in nursing.

4. On April 2, 1866, the schooner John R. Dunbar set sail from Newport, Rhode Island on a whaling expedition. The ship was later shipwrecked near the Falkland Islands, and several members of the crew were lost at sea.

5. The Rhode Island Historical Society was founded on April 2, 1822. The organization is dedicated to preserving and sharing the history of Rhode Island and has a museum, library, and archive with over 25,000 objects and documents related to the state's history.