1. On June 20, 1675, the Great Swamp Fight occurred during King Philip's War in southern Rhode Island. Over 300 Narragansett Indians were killed, and the tribe's winter food supply was destroyed.
2. In 1790, the first census of the United States was taken, and Rhode Island had a population of 68,825. This included approximately 9500 enslaved individuals.
3. On June 20, 1847, the Rhode Island State Normal School, now known as Rhode Island College, was founded in Providence. It was the first college in the state to offer teacher training programs.
4. The Newport Jazz Festival, one of the oldest and most prestigious jazz festivals in the world, has been held annually in Rhode Island since 1954. The festival often falls on the weekend closest to June 20th, and has featured jazz legends such as Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, and Miles Davis.
5. On June 20, 2013, the Rhode Island General Assembly passed legislation allowing same-sex marriage in the state. Rhode Island became the 10th state in the U.S. to legalize same-sex marriage.