1. In 1787, Rhode Island became the 13th and final state to ratify the United States Constitution. After initially rejecting the document, Rhode Island eventually voted in favor of it on August 28, making it official and helping to establish the new nation's foundation.

2. On August 28, 1830, the first steamship to cross the Atlantic Ocean, the RMS Liverpool, arrived in Providence, Rhode Island. The Liverpool had departed from Europe on August 1 and completed the journey in just 27 days, ushering in a new era of faster and more efficient transportation.

3. In 1862, during the American Civil War, Rhode Island Governor William Sprague IV made a controversial decision to arrest and detain a group of suspected Confederate sympathizers. The "Rhode Island Confederate Arrest Affair" sparked political controversy and legal challenges, and remains a notable event in the state's history.

4. On August 28, 1920, the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution was officially certified, granting women the right to vote. This historical milestone was a culmination of decades of activism and advocacy by suffragists, including many in Rhode Island.

5. In 1963, civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Though the speech did not take place in Rhode Island, many residents participated in the civil rights movement and supported King's message of equality and justice.