1. On June 29, 1776, the Rhode Island General Assembly became the first legislative body in the American colonies to declare its independence from Great Britain.

2. June 29, 1876, marked the opening of the first public library in Bristol, Rhode Island. The library was initially housed in donated space in a local shoe store and consisted of just 700 books.

3. On June 29, 1894, the USS Texas, one of the first American battleships powered by steam turbines, was launched at the Fore River Shipyard in Quincy, Massachusetts. The ship would go on to serve in both World War I and II before being decommissioned in 1948.

4. June 29, 1943, saw the infamous riot at the Charlestown State Prison in Rhode Island. The riot erupted when prisoners refused to participate in a work strike and guards responded with force. The riot resulted in the deaths of two inmates and the burning of several prison buildings.

5. On June 29, 1961, the Rhode Island General Assembly passed a law allowing for the creation of the Narragansett Bay Commission. The commission would be tasked with overseeing the treatment and disposal of wastewater from the surrounding communities and is still in operation today.