1. In 1878, the first female medical students graduated from the Women's Medical College of Pennsylvania, which had a Rhode Island connection. Rhode Islander Alida Avery was one of the graduates, and she went on to practice medicine in Providence.

2. On January 10, 1956, the Rhode Island General Assembly declared the quahog (hard clam) to be the official state shellfish. Rhode Island is famous for its quahogs, which are used in the famous clam chowder and stuffies (stuffed quahogs).

3. In 1973, the Rhode Island Supreme Court made a landmark decision in favor of the plaintiff in the case of Diane v. State of Rhode Island. The court ruled that the state's public accommodations law prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation, making Rhode Island the first state to offer such protections.

4. On January 10, 1988, the Providence Civic Center hosted the WWF's Royal Rumble, which was the first annual event of its kind. The event was won by "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan, who outlasted 19 other wrestlers to earn the victory.

5. In 2013, the Providence Bruins set a franchise and American Hockey League record by winning their 18th consecutive game, beating the Norfolk Admirals by a score of 3-1. The winning streak was part of a historic season for the team, which finished with a 50-21-0-5 record and reached the conference finals of the Calder Cup playoffs.