1. In 1759, the first recorded snowfall was reported in Providence on January 11th. The snowfall was heavy enough to cover the ground and lasted for several days.

2. On January 11, 1776, American colonists in Rhode Island captured British General Richard Prescott in the middle of the night. Prescott was taken from his quarters in Portsmouth and was held captive until a prisoner exchange was arranged.

3. The first official bank in Rhode Island, the Rhode Island Union Bank, was chartered on January 11th, 1801. The bank's headquarters were located in Providence and it was one of the first banks in the United States to issue banknotes.

4. In 1847, Rhode Island native Elizabeth Buffum Chace delivered a lecture on January 11th in Providence titled "The Anti-Slavery Movement". Chace was a prominent abolitionist and women's suffragist who played a significant role in the Underground Railroad.

5. On January 11, 1971, the Rhode Island Supreme Court ruled that the state's abortion law was unconstitutional. The landmark decision made Rhode Island one of the first states in the country to legalize abortion.