1. In 1847, the Watch Hill Light in Westerly, Rhode Island, was first lit to help guide sailors through the dangerous waters near Block Island Sound.

2. On November 10, 1956, the USS Nautilus, the world's first nuclear-powered submarine, was launched from the electric boat company in Groton, Connecticut. Rhode Island played an essential role in the development of nuclear power, including the construction of several naval vessels at Quonset Point, Davisville.

3. The Providence Steamboat Company's first iron-hulled sidewheeler, the SS Providence, was launched on November 10, 1863. The ship was one of the fastest and most popular steamboats on the eastern seaboard, navigating between Providence and New York City for over 40 years.

4. In 2003, Rhode Island native Elizabeth Buffum Chace was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame for her tireless efforts to promote women's rights and abolitionist causes in the mid-19th century. Chace was also the founder of the Rhode Island Woman Suffrage Association and a prominent member of the National Woman Suffrage Association.

5. On November 10, 1775, the Continental Congress authorized the creation of the United States Marine Corps, a branch of the military that would go on to serve with distinction in every major conflict in U.S. history. Today, the Marine Corps maintains a significant presence in Rhode Island, with bases in Newport and Quonset Point.