1. Rhode Island Expels Roger Williams
On December 20, 1635, the Massachusetts Bay Colony Mass General Court ordered the expulsion of Roger Williams from the colony. Williams was a Puritan minister and prominent advocate of religious freedom who had been banished because of his dissident views. He then fled to Rhode Island, where he founded the colony of Providence in 1636.

2. The British Capture Newport
During the American Revolution, on 20 December 1776, British forces under General Henry Clinton captured Newport, one of Rhode Island's most affluent towns at the time. The British captured it easily since there wasn't much military opposition, causing the residents of Newport to flee.

3. Rhode Island Ratifies the U.S. Constitution
On December 20, 1787, the Rhode Island General Assembly ratified the U.S. Constitution, leaving Georgia as the only state that didn't attend the Constitutional Convention. The vote was very close, where they had a 34-32 vote; this vote wasn't without controversy, however, as it was accused of being corrupted because of anti-federalist forces.

4. Gaspee Affair
The Gaspee Affair occurred on June 9, 1772, and was investigated by a commission established by King George III. However, it was on December 20, 1772, that the commissions issued an address offering a reward for the discovery of the people responsible for burning the British schooner HMS Gaspee; this commission was appointed to gain revenue by intercepting ships and capturing smugglers.

5. Rhode Island's First State House Burns Down
On December 20, 1901, Rhode Island's first State House burned down. The building, located on Benefit Street in Providence, was designed by architect James Bucklin along with the first Baptist Church, and its designs inspired that of the Massachusetts State House. The new State House was constructed on the same site in 1904 and is still in use today.