1. Rhode Island was the last of the 13 original colonies to ratify the United States Constitution on March 12, 1790. This came two and a half years after the Constitution was created.

2. On March 12, 1912, the Providence Police Department was established. It replaced the old town watch system in the city and is now the largest municipal police department in Rhode Island.

3. In 1884, the state's first public library system was established in Pawtucket on March 12. The system consisted of two libraries and was known as the Pawtucket Public Library.

4. On March 12, 1975, the Narragansett Indian Tribe submitted a petition to the Bureau of Indian Affairs to be formally recognized as a tribe. It took until 1983 for the tribe to gain federal recognition.

5. The Providence Bruins, a professional ice hockey team, played their first game in the American Hockey League on March 12, 1992. The team has been a popular sports fixture in Rhode Island ever since.