Today In History
5 Fun Facts About May 25 In South Carolina History
1. On May 25, 1780, the Battle of Waxhaws in Lancaster County took place during the American Revolutionary War. The battle was fought between American Patriot forces and British soldiers, and it resulted in a controversial massacre of wounded Patriot soldiers by the British. 2. On May 25, 1865, the...
5 Fun Facts About May 11 In South Carolina History
1. In 1865, Union forces under the command of Major General Quincy A. Gillmore arrived in Charleston, officially ending the Civil War in South Carolina. The city had been surrendered to Union forces in February of that year. 2. In 1923, the University of South Carolina dedicated its new campus...
5 Fun Facts About April 6 In Rhode Island History
1. Rhode Island became the last of the original thirteen colonies to ratify the United States Constitution on April 6, 1790. After a long and bitter debate, the state narrowly approved the document by a vote of 34 to 32, paving the way for its adoption and the establishment of...
5 Fun Facts About March 16 In Rhode Island History
1. In 1676, Rhode Island's Great Swamp Fight occurred on March 16. This was a significant battle during King Philip's War, with around 300 Native Americans killed or captured by English colonists and their Native American allies. 2. On March 16, 1776, the British landed on Rhode Island, occupying Newport...
5 Fun Facts About March 12 In Rhode Island History
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...
5 Fun Facts About March 2 In Rhode Island History
1. Rhode Island was the last of the original 13 colonies to ratify the U.S. Constitution, and it finally did so on March 2, 1790. This ended the state's almost three-year-long period of independence from the federal government. 2. On March 2, 1855, the Rhode Island State House was officially...
5 Fun Facts About January 20 In Rhode Island History
1. In 1937, a group of Rhode Island textile workers went on strike demanding better pay and working conditions. This led to the historic "Little Steel Strike" that spread across the country and eventually led to the formation of the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO). 2. On January 20, 1953,...
5 Fun Facts About January 12 In Rhode Island History
1) On January 12, 1944, the USS Gudgeon, a submarine built in Rhode Island, sank a Japanese transport ship, making it one of the most successful submarine missions in World War II. 2) In 1832, the Rhode Island Anti-Slavery Society was founded in Providence with William Lloyd Garrison as one...
5 Fun Facts About January 6 In Rhode Island History
1. In 1776, the Rhode Island General Assembly declared independence from Great Britain on January 6, becoming the first colony to do so. 2. On January 6, 1839, the Dorr Rebellion began in Rhode Island. It was an attempt to expand suffrage and political rights to non-landowners and immigrants, and...
5 Fun Facts About December 24 In Rhode Island History
1. In 1776, the British occupied Newport, Rhode Island on Christmas Eve during the American Revolution. The occupation lasted until 1779. 2. On December 24, 1927, the first radio station in Rhode Island, WJAR, began broadcasting from Providence. 3. Christmas Eve in 1966 brought a devastating blizzard to Rhode Island,...
5 Fun Facts About December 20 In Rhode Island History
1. Rhode Island Expels Roger Williams On December 20, 1635, the Massachusetts Bay Colony Mass General Court ordered the expulsion of Roger Williams from the colony. Williams was a Puritan minister and prominent advocate of religious freedom who had been banished because of his dissident views. He then fled to...
5 Fun Facts About December 13 In Rhode Island History
1. In 1636, Roger Williams was banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony and fled to what is now Rhode Island, where he established a colony based on religious freedom and separation of church and state. This colony eventually became the state of Rhode Island. 2. On December 13, 1776, British...