1. On August 26, 1920, Rhode Island became the 34th state to ratify the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote. This historic moment came only after months of intense lobbying by suffragists, who faced opposition from many Rhode Island lawmakers.

2. In 1959, one of Rhode Island's most famous landmarks, the Newport Bridge, opened to traffic on August 26. The bridge, which spans the East Passage of Narragansett Bay, replaced a ferry that had shuttled passengers between Newport and Jamestown for decades.

3. On August 26, 1964, a major race riot erupted in Providence's African American neighborhood of South Providence. The violence lasted for several days and resulted in dozens of injuries, arrests, and property damage. The root cause of the rioting was a longstanding tension between the police and the black community.

4. In 1740, the colonial government of Rhode Island founded the town of Richmond on August 26. Located in the southwestern part of the state, Richmond was established as an agricultural community and was named in honor of the Duke of Richmond, who was then serving as the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland.

5. On August 26, 1940, the Rhode Island State Police established a permanent headquarters in Scituate. The new facility, which replaced an older barracks, was located on Route 6 and allowed troopers to better patrol the state's highways and keep the peace during World War II.