1. In 1775, a group of Rhode Islanders under the leadership of Silas Talbot captured a British schooner called HMS Pigot in the Newport Harbor. This was one of the first naval battles of the American Revolution.
2. On October 27, 1787, Rhode Island became the last state to ratify the United States Constitution, after initially rejecting it in 1788. Rhode Island's slow ratification was due to a distrust of a strong central government and concerns over protecting individual rights.
3. In 1881, the Newport Casino was opened in Newport. The casino served as a social and sporting club for the city's elite, hosting events like lawn tennis tournaments and lavish balls. Today, the casino is a National Historic Landmark and home to the International Tennis Hall of Fame Museum.
4. The decommissioning of the USS John F. Kennedy aircraft carrier took place on October 27, 2007, at the Naval Station Newport. The ship was named after the president and was in service in the United States Navy from 1968 to 2007.
5. In 2014, Gina Raimondo was elected as the first female governor of Rhode Island on October 27. Raimondo, a Democrat, previously served as the state treasurer before winning the gubernatorial race.