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2 weeks ago | 
whatsupnewp.com | Sarah McClutchy
On April 10th, 1794, Commodore Matthew Calbraith Perry was born in Rhode Island. A member of the Perry family naval dynasty and often called the ‘Father of the Steam Navy,’ Perry is best known for leading two expeditions to Japan in 1853 and 1854. In 1853, U.S. President Millard Fillmore sent a fleet of warships under Perry’s command to force the opening of Japanese ports to American trade through the use of gunboat diplomacy if necessary.
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2 weeks ago | 
whatsupnewp.com | Sarah McClutchy
On this day in history in 1987, Rose Island Lighthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). Constructed in 1870, Narragansett Bay’s iconic Rose Island Lighthouse was built on top of a bastion of Fort Hamilton. The fort, including the lighthouse, is preserved, maintained and operated by The Rose Island Lighthouse Foundation.
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1 month ago | 
whatsupnewp.com | Sarah McClutchy
On March 25th, 1947 Claudine Schneider, the first woman elected from Rhode Island to the U.S. House of Representatives, was born. Elected in 1980, the political trailblazer also was the first Republican Representative to serve the state in more than 40 years. During her five terms in Congress, Schneider earned a reputation as one of the House’s strongest environmental advocates.
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1 month ago | 
whatsupnewp.com | Sarah McClutchy
At the 63rd Annual Academy Awards on March 25th, 1991, actor Jeremy Irons won the Oscar for Best Actor for his performance as Claus von Bülow in the 1990 film Reversal of Fortune. The film recounts the true story of Claus von Bülow who was twice tried on charges of attempted murder after his wife, socialite Sunny von Bülow (played by Glenn Close), was found comatose on December 21, 1980, due to an alleged insulin overdose at Clarendon Court, her estate on Bellevue Avenue.
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2 months ago | 
whatsupnewp.com | Sarah McClutchy
On this day in 1907, the steamship Larchmont collided with the coal schooner Harry Knowlton in the worst maritime disaster in Rhode Island’s history. Between 150 and 200 lives were lost according to newspaper reports at the time. The exact number of deaths has been the subject of much speculation as the passenger list was lost with the ship. Only 17 survived, including the captain and other members of the crew.
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Jan 19, 2025 | 
whatsupnewp.com | Sarah McClutchy
On January 19, 1996, the worst oil spill in Rhode Island history occurred when the tank barge, North Cape, and the tugboat, Scandia, grounded off Moonstone Beach in South Kingstown. The grounding occurred after the tug caught fire in its engine room during a winter storm. An estimated 828,000 gallons of home heating oil spilled, spreading throughout a broad area of Block Island Sound and beyond, including the shoreline of the Trustom Pond National Wildlife Refuge (NWR).
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Apr 10, 2024 | 
whatsupnewp.com | Sarah McClutchy
On this day in history in 1987, Rose Island Lighthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). Constructed in 1870, Narragansett Bay’s iconic Rose Island Lighthouse was built on top of a bastion of Fort Hamilton. The fort, including the lighthouse, is preserved, maintained and operated by The Rose Island Lighthouse Foundation.
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Apr 10, 2024 | 
whatsupnewp.com | Sarah McClutchy
On April 10th, 1794, Commodore Matthew Calbraith Perry was born in Rhode Island. A member of the Perry family naval dynasty and often called the ‘Father of the Steam Navy,’ Perry is best known for leading two expeditions to Japan in 1853 and 1854. In 1853, U.S. President Millard Fillmore sent a fleet of warships under Perry’s command to force the opening of Japanese ports to American trade through the use of gunboat diplomacy if necessary.
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Mar 25, 2024 | 
whatsupnewp.com | Sarah McClutchy
At the 63rd Annual Academy Awards on March 25th, 1991, actor Jeremy Irons won the Oscar for Best Actor for his performance as Claus von Bülow in the 1990 film Reversal of Fortune. The film recounts the true story of Claus von Bülow who was twice tried on charges of attempted murder after his wife, socialite Sunny von Bülow (played by Glenn Close), was found comatose on December 21, 1980, due to an alleged insulin overdose at Clarendon Court, her estate on Bellevue Avenue.
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Mar 25, 2024 | 
whatsupnewp.com | Sarah McClutchy
On March 25th, 1947 Claudine Schneider, the first woman elected from Rhode Island to the U.S. House of Representatives, was born. Elected in 1980, the political trailblazer also was the first Republican Representative to serve the state in more than 40 years. During her five terms in Congress, Schneider earned a reputation as one of the House’s strongest environmental advocates.
