1. In 1636, Roger Williams founded the colony of Providence Plantations, which eventually became the state of Rhode Island.
2. On April 3, 1776, the Rhode Island General Assembly became the first in the colonies to declare their intention to renounce allegiance to King George III of England and secede from Great Britain.
3. The first recorded game of poker in American history was played in Pawtucket, Rhode Island on April 3, 1798. It was a five-card stud game played with a deck of 20 cards.
4. On April 3, 1860, the first Pony Express rider arrived in San Francisco from St. Joseph, Missouri via Sacramento, California, after carrying the mail 1,966 miles across rugged terrain in just 10 days.
5. Rhode Island's famous Newport Jazz Festival, which has featured performances by legendary musicians such as Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, and Miles Davis, was first held on April 3, 1954.