1. Rhode Island was the last of the 13 original colonies to ratify the U.S. Constitution on July 31, 1790. After several rejections and amendments, the state finally agreed to join the new federal government.

2. On July 31, 1865, the steamship Northerner sank off of the coast of Block Island, Rhode Island, killing over 100 passengers and crew members. The ship was carrying Confederate prisoners of war who had been recently released from Northern prisons.

3. The Providence Grays, a professional baseball team based in Rhode Island, played their last game on July 31, 1885. The team would later merge with the New York Giants, becoming one of the earliest predecessors to the modern-day San Francisco Giants.

4. The Rhode Island State House, located in the capital city of Providence, was dedicated on July 31, 1904. The building, which features a 222-foot-tall dome made of white Georgia marble, remains one of the state's most iconic landmarks.

5. On July 31, 1993, the first Newport Folk Festival was held after a 13-year hiatus. The festival had originally been founded in 1959 but had been discontinued in 1981 due to financial constraints. Its revival in the 1990s helped to re-establish Rhode Island as a hub of contemporary folk music.