1. In 2014, Governor Lincoln Chafee declared October 2 as "Peace Day" in Rhode Island, following a global movement to promote peace and nonviolence.

2. On October 2, 1780, the British attempted to capture the French fleet anchored in Newport Harbor during the American Revolutionary War. The French managed to escape under cover of darkness, leading to a minor victory for the American-French alliance.

3. The Dunkin' Donuts Center in Providence, originally known as the Providence Civic Center, officially opened on October 2, 1972. It has since hosted numerous concerts, sporting events, and conventions.

4. Rhode Island native George M. Cohan, a famed Broadway composer and actor, was born on October 2, 1878.

5. In 1964, the Providence-Boston Air Route Traffic Control Center was established in Warwick, Rhode Island to oversee air traffic in the region. It remains one of the busiest air traffic control centers in the country.