1. On August 1, 1774, Rhode Island became the first of the Thirteen Colonies to officially declare its opposition to British rule. The Rhode Island General Assembly passed resolutions that condemned the British Parliament's Intolerable Acts, which were designed to punish the colonies for their resistance to British authority.

2. On August 1, 1790, the first United States Census was taken in Rhode Island. The census revealed that the state had a population of 68,825, making it the 5th most populous state in the nation at the time.

3. On August 1, 1842, the Dorr Rebellion culminated in a showdown between the state militia and rebel forces in Providence. The rebellion was sparked by demands for expanded voting rights and a new state constitution, and it ultimately led to the adoption of a new state constitution in 1843 that granted suffrage to more citizens.

4. On August 1, 1978, the Rhode Island Supreme Court ruled in favor of a group of plaintiffs in the case of Doe v. Koger, which challenged the state's ban on abortion. The court's decision effectively legalized abortion in Rhode Island.

5. On August 1, 2017, the Rhode Island Senate became the fourth state legislative body in the nation to approve a bill that would guarantee paid sick leave to all workers. The bill required all employers to provide their employees with up to three paid sick days per year.