1. In 1636, Roger Williams landed in present-day Rhode Island, establishing a settlement and laying the foundation for the state's tradition of religious freedom.

2. On April 7, 1776, the Rhode Island General Assembly became the first legislative body in the newly formed United States to declare its independence from Great Britain.

3. April 7, 1841 saw the opening of the first state asylum for the mentally ill in Rhode Island, marking a significant step forward in the treatment of mental illness in the state.

4. In 1922, Rhode Island native and Olympic gold medalist Albert Michelson became the first American to win a Nobel Prize in science, receiving the award for his work in physics.

5. On April 7, 1993, the Rhode Island Supreme Court ruled that the state's anti-discrimination laws applied to sexual orientation, making it one of the first states to legally protect LGBT individuals from discrimination.