1. In 1661, the English colony of Rhode Island passed a law banning slavery, becoming one of the first places in the New World to do so.

2. On April 23, 1776, the Rhode Island Assembly declared its independence from Great Britain, two months before the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

3. On April 23, 1861, Rhode Island Governor William Sprague IV became the first governor to offer troops to President Abraham Lincoln for the Civil War.

4. On April 23, 1896, the Rhode Island School of Design Museum, which is now one of the largest art museums in the Northeast, opened its doors.

5. On April 23, 1972, Rhode Island Senator Claiborne Pell introduced the Basic Educational Opportunity Grant (BEOG) bill, which later became known as the Pell Grant, providing financial aid to millions of students in need.