1. On June 28, 1778, the Battle of Rhode Island took place during the American Revolutionary War. The British forces attempted to capture the city of Newport, but were met with fierce resistance from the Continental Army and the French fleet stationed in the harbor. The battle ended with the retreat of the British forces.

2. In 1896, the Rhode Island State House was dedicated on June 28. The building, which is located in Providence, was designed by the renowned architect McKim, Mead & White and features a striking neoclassical style. It is the tallest building in Providence and houses the offices of the state government.

3. On June 28, 1927, the first cross-country airmail service in the United States began its inaugural flight from New York to San Francisco, with a stop in Providence. Charles Lindbergh was one of the pilots who flew the mail across the country in a total of 33 hours and 20 minutes.

4. In 1965, Rhode Island Governor John Chafee signed into law a bill that abolished the death penalty in the state on June 28. Rhode Island was the first state in the United States to officially abolish capital punishment after a Supreme Court ruling in 1972 invalidated existing death penalty laws across the country.

5. On June 28, 2011, the Rhode Island General Assembly passed a bill legalizing same-sex marriage in the state, making it the 10th state to do so. The bill was signed into law by Governor Lincoln Chafee and went into effect on August 1, 2013, following a period of legal challenges and controversy.