1. Rhode Island became the first state in the United States to enact legislation that mandated all school buses to be equipped with seat belts on January 2, 2008.

2. On January 2, 1873, Alexander Graham Bell successfully demonstrated the transmission of his new invention, the telephone, in the Providence Journal office located in Providence, Rhode Island.

3. The Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles launched a new online service called “myRhodeIsland” on January 2, 2019, that allowed customers to complete a range of DMV-related tasks online, including renewing driver’s licenses, registering vehicles, and paying fees.

4. On January 2, 1946, Brown University played in the first ever Orange Bowl game held in Miami, Florida, where they defeated the University of Miami 16-14.

5. The Claiborne Pell Newport Bridge, which spans the Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island and connects Newport and Jamestown, was officially opened to the public on January 2, 1969. The bridge is named after Claiborne Pell, a former United States Senator from Rhode Island who championed its construction.