1. The Gaspee Affair occurred on July 17, 1772 in Warwick, Rhode Island, when a group of colonists boarded and burned the HMS Gaspee, a British customs schooner. This event is considered one of the first acts of rebellion leading to the American Revolution.

2. On July 17, 1863, the 1st Rhode Island Heavy Artillery fought in the Battle of Honey Hill during the Civil War. The regiment suffered heavy losses, with one-third of its men either killed or wounded.

3. The USS Rhode Island, a battleship commissioned in 1904, participated in naval actions during both World War I and World War II. On July 17, 1918, the ship was present during the Battle of Jutland, the largest naval battle of World War I.

4. In 1922, the first commercial flight from Rhode Island to New York City took place on July 17, using a single-engine biplane. The flight took three hours and cost $40 per passenger.

5. On July 17, 1961, the first MLS soccer game to be played in the United States was held in Providence, Rhode Island. The Rhode Island Oceaneers defeated the Chicago Mustangs 2-1.