Here are five interesting facts about this significant date.

1. Independence Hall's famous "Liberty Bell" was gifted to the Institute for Colored Youth in Wilmington on December 28, 1897. This act of generosity significantly improved the institution's finances as it received thousands of visitors.

2. In 1997, Vice President Al Gore visited Newark, Delaware, as part of his plan to combat global warming. He presented a $500,000 check to the University of Delaware's College of Marine Studies for research to mitigate the effects of climate change.

3. The first Roman Catholic Church in Wilmington, "St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception," was established on December 28, 1832.

4. On December 28, 1958, Governor J. Caleb Boggs appointed 39-year-old William Roth to the U.S. Senate. Roth would serve for 34 years as Delaware's senior Senator, from 1970 until his retirement in 2001.

5. Delaware's flagship public university, the University of Delaware, was founded on December 28, 1833, with the passage of legislation by the Delaware General Assembly. The university opened its doors in Newark in 1844, where it remains to this day, educating thousands of students each year.