1. In 1789, Rhode Island became the last state to ratify the U.S. Constitution, officially joining the newly formed United States.

2. In 1829, the Newport Mercury, a popular newspaper in Rhode Island, published the first known advertisement for the popular dessert treat, the ice cream cone.

3. In 1875, the Newport Casino opened its doors, becoming one of the first social clubs in the United States. It later became the site of the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

4. In 1986, the USS Rhode Island, a ballistic missile submarine, was commissioned by the United States Navy. It was the third submarine to be named after the state.

5. In 2015, former Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee announced his candidacy for the Democratic Party nomination in the 2016 U.S. Presidential election. Chafee previously served as a Republican Senator and then as an Independent Governor of Rhode Island.