Timeline of Providence, Rhode Island

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Providence, Rhode Island, United States.

Prior to 19th century

Image:Providence Gazzette Constitution.jpg

File:The Old Providence Bank.jpg

1635 – Great Colonial Hurricane of 1635
1636 – Providence founded by Roger Williams a religious reformer.
1638 – Baptist congregation formed.{{sfn|Britannica|1910}}
1643/44 - "Received a charter from the Parliamentary Government".{{sfn|Britannica|1879}}
1675 — Narragansetts and white settler-colonists battle during the King Philip's War{{cite web|title=King Philip's War Event Timeline|url=http://kpwar.org/sample-page/timeline/|website=Battlefields of King Philip's War|publisher=Pequot Museum|access-date=21 February 2017}}
1676 — March 29: Narragansett warriors led by Canonchet burn about fifty houses, including Roger Williams' house, as part of King Philip's War{{cite web|title=King Philip's War 1675-1676|url=http://www.smplanet.com/teaching/colonialamerica/wars/kingphilip|website=Colonial America|publisher=Small Planet Communications|access-date=21 February 2017|quote=In March, Roger Williams lost the home where he had lived for some years when a large force of American Indians descended on Providence and burned about fifty houses.}}{{sfn|Greene|1886|p=124}}
1683 — Roger Williams dies{{cite encyclopedia|url=http://www.britannica.com/biography/Roger-Williams-American-religious-leader|encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica|title=Roger Williams (American religious leader)|access-date=5 February 2017}}
1700 – North Burial Ground established{{cite news|last1=Hill|first1=John|title=Providence's North Burial Ground is running out of room|url=http://www.providencejournal.com/news/content/20150124-providences-north-burial-ground-is-running-out-of-room.ece |newspaper=The Providence Journal|date=24 Jan 2015}}
1711 – First burial at North Burial Ground
1743 - Beneficent Congregational Church congregation founded.{{sfn|Britannica|1910}}
1753 – Providence Library Company organized.
1762
State House built.
William Goddard sets up printing press; Providence Gazette newspaper begins publication.{{Citation |publisher = Rhode Island Historical Society |location = Providence |title = Rhode Island imprints: a list of books, pamphlets, newspapers and broadsides printed at Newport, Providence, Warren, Rhode Island, between 1727 and 1800 |date = 1915 |ol = 7091649M }}
1764 – College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations established in Warren.{{sfn|Britannica|1879}}
1768 – Brick Schoolhouse built on Meeting Street.
1770 – College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations relocated to Providence.{{sfn|Brewster|1830}}
1774 - Rhode Island Supreme Court founded.
1775 – Market House and First Baptist Meetinghouse built.
1776 – 1777: Colonial and French troops use University Hall as a barracks and hospital during the American Revolutionary War{{cite web|last1=Mitchell|first1=Margaret|title=University Hall|url=http://www.brown.edu/Administration/News_Bureau/Databases/Encyclopedia/search.php?serial=U0040|website=Encyclopedia Brunoniana|publisher=Brown University|access-date=26 January 2016}}
1784 — January: Flooding on the Moshassuck River caused the greatest damage seen since the burning of the town during King Philip's War{{sfn|Greene|1886|p=63}}
1785 – Beneficent Congregational Society established.{{Citation |publisher = Knowles & Vose |location = Providence |author = Mark Tucker |title = Centennial sermon preached before the Beneficent Congregational Church and Society in Providence, R.I. March 19, 1843 |date = 1845 |ol = 13520535M }}
1788
John Brown House built.{{sfn|Britannica|1910}}
de Warville describes the town as "decayed".{{sfn|Britannica|1879}}
1789
Providence Association of Mechanics and Manufacturers{{cite web |url=http://www.provengsociety.com/ |title=Providence Engineering Society |access-date=August 19, 2012}}
Providence Society for Abolishing the Slave-Trade established.{{Citation |publisher = Printed by John Carter |location = Providence |title = Constitution of a Society for Abolishing the Slave-Trade |date = 1789 |ol = 23290735M }}
1790
U.S. Custom House established.{{cite web |url=http://www.rihs.org/mssinv/MSS028sg1.htm |title=United States Custom House Records, Providence, Rhode Island |publisher=Rhode Island Historical Society |access-date=August 19, 2012}}
Population: 6,380.
1791 - October: Providence Bank on South Main Street incorporated; later known as Providence National Bank, Providence Union Bank and Trust Company, Industrial National Bank, and FleetBoston Financial.{{sfn|Greene|1886|p=68}}
1793 - The first covered drawbridge is built over the Seekonk River where the Washington Bridge currently stands, followed the same year by the Central Bridge farther north.{{sfn|Conforti|1976}}
1794 – Serril Dodge opens his first jewelry store on North Main Street, thus beginning Providence's jewelry industry{{cite news|last1=Davis|first1=Paul|title=R.I.'s jewelry industry history in search of a permanent home|url=http://www.providencejournal.com/article/20150704/NEWS/150709845|access-date=27 July 2016|newspaper=The Providence Journal|date=4 July 2015|location=Providence|quote=In 1794, Seril Dodge opened a jewelry store on North Main Street in Providence ... started Rhode Island’s jewelry industry.}}
1795 – Theatre opens.{{sfn|Willard|1891}}
1798 – Providence Marine Society established.{{cite web |url=http://www.rihs.org/mssinv/Mss673sg12.htm |title=Providence Marine Society Records |publisher=Rhode Island Historical Society |access-date=August 19, 2012}}

19th century

Image:Union Horse R.R. Station, Providence, R.I, from Robert N. Dennis collection of stereoscopic views.jpg

Image:Arcade, Providence, R.I, from Robert N. Dennis collection of stereoscopic views.jpg

Image:1882 ProvidenceRI byBailey BPL 10162.png

1800 — Population: 7,614.{{sfn|Greene|1886|p=69}}
1801
January 21 — The first "Great Fire" destroys 37 buildings and leaves many families homeless{{sfn|Greene|1886|p=70}}
Providence Marine Corps of Artillery founded.{{cite web |url=http://www.rihs.org/mssinv/Mss647.htm |title=Providence Marine Corps of Artillery Records |publisher=Rhode Island Historical Society |access-date=August 19, 2012}}
1802 – Providence Phoenix newspaper begins publication.{{cite web |url=http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/search/titles/results/?state=Rhode+Island&county=Providence&city=Providence&rows=50&sort=date |title=US Newspaper Directory |location=Washington, D.C. |work=Chronicling America |publisher=Library of Congress |access-date=August 19, 2012}}
1805 — Providence streets receive official names for the first time{{sfn|Greene|1886|p=70}}
1810
Cathedral of St. John built.{{sfn|Britannica|1879}}
Population: 10,071.{{sfn|Greene|1886|p=70}}
1814 - Union Bank of Providence founded.{{cite web |url=http://www.rihs.org/mssinv/Mss765.htm |title=Union Bank Records |publisher=Rhode Island Historical Society |access-date=August 19, 2012}}
1815 - September 23: The Great Gale of 1815 causes extensive damage and flooding.{{sfn|Greene|1886|page=73}}
1816 - October 13: The First Congregational Church (Unitarian) dedicated, now known as First Unitarian Church.{{sfn|Greene|1886|page=148}}
1818 – Rhode Island Peace Society{{sfn|Sampson|1919}} and Merchants Bank established.{{sfn|Merchants National Bank|1918}}
1819
New England Yearly Meeting Boarding School opens.
The Congdon Street Baptist Church is founded as the first independent Black church in the stat
1820 - January 3: The Manufacturers' & Farmers' Journal, Providence & Pawtucket Advertiser begins publication, precursor to The Providence Journal.{{cite web|url=http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/history2/66/The-Providence-Journal-Company.html|access-date=29 October 2015|title=The Providence Journal Company - Company Profile, Information, Business Description, History, Background Information on The Providence Journal Company|publisher=Reference for Business}}
1822 - Rhode Island Historical Society founded.{{sfn|Britannica|1879}}
1823
April — The first ordinance passed requiring snow removal from sidewalks within 24 hours after falling{{sfn|Greene|1886|p=74}}
Providence Franklin Society incorporated.{{sfn|Sampson|1889}}
1824
The first city directory issued{{sfn|Greene|1886|p=74}}
Race riot in Hard Scrabble
August 23 — Lafayette visited Providence for the first time since the Revolutionary War to great acclaim{{sfn|Greene|1886|p=75}}
The Franklin Society a secret society based at Brown University founded.{{sfn|Britannica|1879}}
1825 - May — the second "Great Fire" began at the corner of Union and Westminster Streets{{sfn|Greene|1886|p=75}}
1828
Dexter Asylum built.{{sfn|Brown Daily Herald|2009}}{{sfn|Britannica|1879}}
Westminster Arcade built.{{sfn|Britannica|1879}}
High Street Bank established.
Herald newspaper begins publication.
1829 - The Providence Journal newspaper begins publishing daily.
1830 - "Providence had ceased to be a great port and had begun to be a textile manufacturing place".{{sfn|Britannica|1910}}
1831
Boston and Providence Railroad begins operating.
Race riot in Snow Town.
Gorham Silver and Franklin Lyceum established.
1832
City incorporated.{{sfn|Charter|1845}} City government meets at Market House{{cite web|last1=Campbell|first1=Paul|title=A Brief History of Providence City Hall|url=https://www.providenceri.com/archives/history|website=City Archives|publisher=City of Providence|access-date=31 May 2015}}
Samuel W. Bridgham elected first mayor.
1833 — David Brown opens a shop on South Main Street that later becomes Brown & Sharpe{{cite web|title=the Foundry Brown & Sharpe Manufacturing|url=http://www.artinruins.com/arch/?id=redevelop&pr=brownsharpe|website=Art in Ruins|access-date=22 December 2016}}
1835 – Train station and first India Point Railroad Bridge built.
1836
Providence Athenaeum formed.{{sfn|Britannica|1910}}
City hosts Rhode Island Anti-Slavery convention.{{Citation |publisher = H. H. Brown, printer |location = Providence |title = Proceedings of the Rhode-Island Anti-Slavery convention, held in Providence, on the 2d, 3d and 4th of February, 1836 |date = 1836 |ol = 13495563M }}
1838
Providence Association for the Benefit of Colored Children organized.{{Citation |publisher = Gladding & Brother |location=Providence |title = Rhode Island Register |author = George Adams |date = 1856 |oclc = 5628226 |ol=20623769M }}
Narragansett Boat Club organized.{{sfn|Sampson|1889}}
Solomon Pareira, first known Jewish resident of Providence, moves to the city from Holland{{Cite web|last=Foster|first=Geraldine|date=1985|title=The Jews in Rhode Island: A Brief History|url=http://www.rijha.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/jewsri-search.pdf}}
1839 – Providence Marine Corps of Artillery armory built.
1841/42 - Dorr Rebellion

1843 – Classical High School established.
1844
Butler Hospital for the Insane founded.{{sfn|Britannica|1879}} {{cite web|title=About Butler Hospital|url=http://www.butler.org/about/ |publisher=Butler Hospital|access-date=31 May 2015}}
Corliss, Nightingale & Co. in business.{{cite book|title=Appleton's Annual Cyclopedia and Register of Important Events of the Year 1888 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vohRAAAAYAAJ|year=1891|publisher=D. Appleton & Company}}
1845
The City Council votes to prepare plans for a new City Hall
Grace Church built.
Laureldale Chemical Works established.{{Citation |publisher = Providence Chamber of Commerce |location = Providence, Rhode Island |title = Rhode Island industries catalogued |date = 1904 |oclc = 36983588 |ol = 24646521M }}
1846
Swan Point Cemetery established.
Scholfield's Commercial College, a business college located downtown, established.{{sfn|Greene|1886|page=174}}
A. T. Cross Company established.
John Carter Brown Library established.{{sfn|Britannica|1910}}
1847
Providence and Worcester Railroad begins operating
Union Railroad Depot built
Providence Tool Company{{cite web |url=http://www.rihs.org/mssinv/Mss089.htm |title=Providence Tool Company Records |publisher=Rhode Island Historical Society |access-date=August 19, 2012}} established.
1848
Providence Medical Association instituted.
B.B. and R. Knight, which later becomes Fruit of the Loom, established{{cite book|last1=Lorenz|first1=Edward C.|title=Civic Empowerment in an Age of Corporate Greed|date=2012|publisher=MSU Press|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vDUXMu6Ns2oC&q=fruit+of+the+loom+founded+providence&pg=PP37|access-date=22 December 2016|isbn=9781609173227}}
1850 – Providence Reform School opens.
1852
Central Congregational Church established.{{Citation |publisher = E.L. Freeman & Sons |location = Providence |title = Historical manual of the Central Congregational Church, Providence, R.I. 1852-1902 |date = 1902 |ol = 14012005M }}
Locust Grove Cemetery incorporated.{{sfn|Sampson|1899}}
1853
Providence Young Men's Christian Union established
Joseph Brown teams with Lucian Sharpe to form Brown & Sharpe{{Citation |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=NVVDAAAAYAAJ |date = 1902 |author = Brown & Sharpe Manufacturing Co. |title = Catalogue ... of Machinery and Tools |location=Providence, Rhode Island }}
1854
A cholera pandemic sweeps the city, especially among crowded immigrants and workers. Local cemeteries see record numbers of burials. For the next 30 years, 1854 is remembered as "The Year of Cholera."{{cite news |last1=McKenna |first1=Ray |title=My Turn: Ray McKenna: R.I. residents of 1854 would relate |url=https://www.providencejournal.com/opinion/20200419/my-turn-ray-mckenna-ri-residents-of-1854-would-relate |access-date=20 April 2020 |publisher=The Providence Journal |date=19 April 2020}}
Hartford, Providence and Fishkill Railroad begins operating.
Sons of Israel, city's first Jewish congregation established{{Cite book|last1=Olitzky|first1=Kerry M.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=weL9M46TcU8C&q=%22Sons+of+Israel%22+providence&pg=PA323|title=The American Synagogue: A Historical Dictionary and Sourcebook|last2=Raphael|first2=Marc Lee|date=1996|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|isbn=978-0-313-28856-2|language=en}}
1855
James Y. Smith becomes mayor.
Providence Aid Society organized.
U.S. Customshouse built.
1856 – Thomas Howland elected Warden of The Third Ward making him the first person of African heritage to hold office in the city{{Cite web|title=RI Black Heritage Society - Rhode Island Civil Rights Timeline|url=https://riblackheritagesociety.wildapricot.org/Civil-Rights-Timeline|access-date=2020-11-11|website=riblackheritagesociety.wildapricot.org}}
1860 - Population: 50,666.{{citation |title=Population of the 100 Largest Cities and Other Urban Places in the United States: 1790 to 1990 |year=1998 |url=https://www.census.gov/library/working-papers/1998/demo/POP-twps0027.html |publisher=US Census Bureau }}
1863
Bryant and Stratton National Business College (now Bryant University) opens a campus in Providence{{cite web|title=About Bryant: History & Traditions|url=http://www.bryant.edu/about/history-and-traditions/|website=Bryant University|access-date=26 January 2016}}
Rhode Island Hospital founded.{{sfn|Britannica|1879}}
1865
Rhode Island Locomotive Works produced 3,400 steam locomotives until closed in 1899.
Population: 54,595.
1866 - Providence receives state approval to tap the Pawtuxet River as a source of drinking water{{cite web|title=Recent Gift offers Details on Development of City's Water System|url=http://www.providenceri.com/archives/recent-gift-offers-details-on-development-of-citys-0|website=City Archives|publisher=City of Providence|access-date=31 May 2015}}
1867
Young Women's Christian Association organized.{{sfn|Sampson|1889}}
Babcock & Wilcox founded.{{cite web|title=The Babcock & Wilcox Company|url=http://www.encyclopedia.com/books/politics-and-business-magazines/babcock-wilcox-company|website=Encyclopedia.com|publisher=Thomson Gale|access-date=10 March 2017}}
1868
Rhode Island Hospital dedicated.{{cite web |url=http://www.rhodeislandhospital.org/about-us/a-history-of-rhode-island-hospital |title=A History of Rhode Island Hospital |access-date=August 19, 2012}}
Women's City Missionary Society organized.{{sfn|Greene|1886|p=223}}
1869
Morning Star newspaper begins publication.
November: Prospect Terrace Park created.{{cite journal|title=Annual report of the City Auditor showing the appropriations, receipts and expenditures of the city of Providence, for the year ending September 30, 1913 with a schedule of the city property|url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uiug.30112108224517;view=1up;seq=140|journal=Report of the City Auditor|publisher=City Auditor|access-date=24 April 2017|location=Providence, RI|pages=130|quote=PROSPECT TERRACE, on Congdon, opposite Cushing street, being lot No. 215 on plat 10, and containing 11,996 square feet. This lot was purchased by citizens of the second ward, and presented to the city Nov. 27, 1869, to be kept open as a public park.(130)}}
"1870s" – A sewer system is constructed which discharges city waste into the harbor.{{cite news|last1=Fitzpatrick|first1=Edward|title=Rhode Island was one of first states to build sewers and treatment plants|url=http://www.politifact.com/rhode-island/statements/2010/nov/28/jamie-samons/rhode-island-was-one-first-states-build-sewers-and/|newspaper=The Providence Journal|date=28 Nov 2010}}
1871
Roger Williams Park donated to the people of Providence by Betsy Williams
Thanksgiving Day: Providence municipal water service begins, pumping water from the Pawtuxet River
Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument dedicated.{{Citation |publisher = A. C. Greene, printer |location = Providence R.I. |author = Rhode Island. General Assembly. Committee on the soldiers' and sailors' monument |title = Proceedings at the dedication of the Soldiers' and sailors' monument, in Providence |date = 1871 |ol = 14052526M }}
1872
Roger Williams Park & Roger Williams Park Zoo founded.{{sfn|Britannica|1879}}
First Universalist Church built.
First Point Street Bridge built.
Construction begins on the Brown and Sharpe Manufacturing Company Complex along the Woonasquatucket River
Butler Exchange Building founded.{{sfn|Britannica|1879}}
1874 - Cornerstone of City Hall was laid on June 24.{{cite web|title=City Hall built atop 3,128 pilings|url=http://www.providenceri.com/CityHall/history3.html|website=City of Providence|access-date=31 May 2015}}
1876 – Rhode Island Women's Club established.{{sfn|Sampson|1889}}
1877
Rhode Island School of Design and museum established.
Providence County Court House dedicated.{{Citation |publisher = E.L. Freeman & Co., printers to the state |location = Providence |title = Oration delivered at the dedication of the Providence County Court House, December 18, 1877 |author = Thomas Durfee |date = 1879 |oclc = 5762443 |ol = 271693M }}
Grammar school built on Candace Street.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=afxMAAAAMAAJ |title=Providence city manual: or, Organization of the municipal government |year=1878|last1=) City Council |first1=Providence (R. I. }}
1878
Providence Grays baseball team formed; Messer Street Grounds baseball stadium built
Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul completed.{{sfn|Britannica|1879}}
Providence City Hall opens on November 14.{{sfn|Britannica|1910}}
Providence Public Library opens.{{cite book |title=American Library Annual, 1917-1918 |year=1918 |pages=7 v |location=New York |publisher=R.R. Bowker Co. |url=http://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/000638965 }}{{cite web |url=http://www.provlib.org/providence-public-library-history |title=Providence Public Library History |author=Providence Public Library |access-date=August 19, 2012}}
Homeopathic Hospital founded.{{citation |title=Providence Magazine |date=February 1916 }}
1880 – Providence Art Club incorporated.
1881 - Sayles Memorial Hall built.{{sfn|Britannica|1910}}
1883
Providence Press Club formed.{{Citation |publisher = The Journal Company |location = Providence, R.I. |title = Half a century with the Providence Journal |date = 1904 |oclc = 333328 |ol = 6941902M }}
Providence Literary Association organized.{{sfn|Sampson|1889}}
1884
Providence Lying-In Hospital founded.
Providence Camera Club organized.{{sfn|Sampson|1889}}
October: The Providence Grays win baseball's 1884 World Series championship game
1885
Fleur-de-lys Studios built
Providence Grays baseball team disbanded
The Providence Journal begins publishing seven days per week.
1886
June 9: Thomas A. Doyle dies in office, Providence's longest-serving mayor (18 years).{{cite book|title=The Biographical Cyclopedia of Representative Men of Rhode Island Vol 2|date=1881|publisher=Providence National Biographical Publishing Co|location=Providence|pages=512–513}}
June 14: Providence businesses shut down as Mayor Doyle's funeral procession marches through the city.{{cite book|title=Memorial of Thomas Arthur Doyle|date=1886|publisher=Providence City Council|location=Providence, RI|url=https://archive.org/stream/memorialofthomas00prov#page/n7/mode/2up}}
1888 - City Hall was powered by electric lighting for the first time
1890
Providence's jewelry industry includes more than 200 firms with almost 7,000 workers
Population: 132,146.{{sfn|Britannica|1910}}
1891
Providence Athletic Association incorporated.{{Citation |publisher = G. L. Doane & Co. |location = Boston |title = Souvenir club book of the Providence Athletic Association |date = 1899 |ol = 24626009M }}
The Outlet Company established.
Providence News begins publication.
1892
Rhode Island College of Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts founded.
First electric streetcar begins operation on January 20.{{cite book|last1=Molloy|first1=Scott|title=Trolley Wars: Streetcar Workers on the Line|date=2007|publisher=UPNE|isbn=978-1584656302|page=66|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pswPyBIZdUEC }}
1893 – New edifice for Central Congregational Church completed.
1894 – Providence Engineering Society founded.
1896 – Providence Water Color Club organized.
1897 – Emma Goldman arrested for "open-air speaking" at Market Square.
1898 – Union Station rebuilt.
1900
Becomes the sole capital of Rhode Island.{{sfn|Britannica|1910}}
Population: 175,597.{{sfn|Britannica|1910}}

20th century

1901
Providence's first sewage treatment plant begins "chemical precipitation" treatment of city waste, one of the first such plants in the US.
Rhode Island State House built.{{sfn|Britannica|1910}}
1903 — Manchester Street Power Station constructed.{{cite web |title=Manchester Street Power Station |url=https://www.goprovidence.com/listing/manchester-street-power-station/24662/ |website=GoProvidence |publisher=Providence Warwick Convention and Visitor's Bureau |access-date=25 July 2021}}
1905
Handicraft Club organized.
Population: 198,635.{{sfn|Britannica|1910}}
1906 – Evening Tribune newspaper begins publication.{{Citation |publisher = Providence Print. Co. |location = Providence |title = Printers and printing in Providence, 1762-1907 |date = 1907 |oclc = 4125028 |ol = 6996904M }}
1907 – Annmary Brown Memorial museum dedicated.{{cite journal |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OmAoAAAAYAAJ |title=American art annual |volume=13 |publisher=American Federation of Arts |year=1916 }}
1908 – Federal Building constructed.{{sfn|Britannica|1910}}
1909 - Lincoln Woods State Park founded.{{sfn|Britannica|1910}}
1910 – Population: 224,326.{{sfn|Britannica|1910}}
1913 - Turk's Head Building constructed
1914
August – September: A series of civil disturbances known as the Macaroni Riots occur in Federal Hill, leading to 50 arrests and thousands of dollars in damages.
September: Johnson & Wales School of Business was formed, later becomes known as Johnson & Wales University{{cite web|title=Countdown to 100 Years: 1914-1947|url=http://www.jwu.edu/content.aspx?id=32040|website=About JWU|publisher=Johnson and Wales University|access-date=31 May 2015}}
1915 — Population of "city proper:" 247,660 (census of 1915){{cite journal |title=Prospertity and Progress in Providence |journal=Providence Magazine |date=November 1917 |page=625 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7vcnAQAAMAAJ&q=october+%221917%22+providence+protest&pg=PA625 |access-date=6 June 2020}}
1916 - June 3: 54,000 people march through downtown in a six and one-half hour parade in a show of support for Woodrow Wilson's war preparedness efforts.{{cite web |url=https://library.brown.edu/create/browninthegreatwar/stories/preparedness-and-training/ |website=Brown University Library|title=Brown in the Great War |access-date=6 June 2020 |location=Providence, RI |quote=In the spring of 1916, President Woodrow Wilson called for America to ready itself for war in Europe. Preparedness parades took place in cities and towns all across the country. Providence’s parade was impressive. On June 3rd, 54,000 people marched through downtown in a six and half hour procession.}}
1917 - October 14: A Silent Parade is held by 1,800 African-Americans in Providence as part of a national protest against racial violence. The New York Age, a black newspaper, reported that "the marchers were accorded every courtesy by the large throngs of white people."{{cite news |title=Silent Protest Parade Held In Providence |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/52902840/silent-protest-parade/ |access-date=6 June 2020 |publisher=The New York Age |date=18 October 1917}}
1918
September: the first cases of Spanish flu are reported early this month; by the end of the month, over 2,500 influenza cases filled city hospitals.{{cite web |title=Providence, Rhode Island |url=https://www.influenzaarchive.org/cities/city-providence.html# |website=Influenza Encyclopedia |publisher=University of Michigan Center for the History of Medicine and Michigan Publishing, University of Michigan Library |access-date=6 June 2020}}
October 6: The Board of Health issues a general closure order to combat the influenza outbreak.
October 3–9: The influenza epidemic reaches its peak, with over 6,700 cases reported.
October 25: The closure order is rescinded.
December: A second influenza wave hits the city, though smaller than in October. No general closure is ordered.
1919
January: The second influenza wave sweeps through the city's school system.
February 5: No new cases of influenza are reported, and the pandemic is declared over.
1925 – Cycledrome opens, reportedly "the largest and fastest bicycle track in the United States."{{cite web |title=A Bicycle Paradise: Peter Laudati, Vincent Madonna and the Providence Cycledrome, 1925-1934 |url=https://smallstatebighistory.com/a-bicycle-paradise-peter-laudati-vincent-madonna-and-the-providence-cycledrome-1925-1934/ |website=Small State, Big History |access-date=29 December 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240309111350/https://smallstatebighistory.com/a-bicycle-paradise-peter-laudati-vincent-madonna-and-the-providence-cycledrome-1925-1934/ |archive-date=9 March 2024}}
1926 - Miriam Hospital opens.
1928
Construction finishes on the Industrial Trust Building (aka "Superman Building").
February: Providence author H. P. Lovecraft publishes his most famous story The Call of Cthulhu in Weird Tales magazine
Vedanta Society of Providence founded.
The Providence Steam Rollers are named NFL champions, after finishing the season with the best record.{{cite web |title=Providence Steam Rollers 1928 season recap |url=https://www.retroseasons.com/teams/providence-steam-roller/1928/overview/ |website=Retro Seasons |access-date=29 December 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240621032531/https://www.retroseasons.com/teams/providence-steam-roller/1928/overview/ |archive-date=21 June 2024 |quote=The 1928 Providence Steam Rollers, coached by Jimmy Conzelman, were NFL Champions after finishing the regular season in 1st place with a 8-1-2 record.}}
1930 - 25 September: Current Washington Bridge south span opens
1932 - Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council headquartered in city.{{cite web |url=http://www.ripec.org/About/Default.aspx |title=About Us |publisher=Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council |location=Providence, Rhode Island }}
1935 - Bryant College of Business Administration, now known as Bryant University, moves from downtown to the East Side
1937 - March 15: Author H.P. Lovecraft dies, aged 47
1938 – September: Hurricane.
1945 – The Providence Journal wins its first Pulitzer Prize
1949 – WJAR-TV begins broadcasting.
1950 – Veterans Memorial Auditorium opens.
1953 – The Providence Journal wins its second Pulitzer Prize
1954 – Hurricane Carol strikes the area.
1955 – WPRO-TV begins broadcasting.
1956
Raymond L. S. Patriarca moves the New England organized crime family to Providence, setting up shop at a vending machine and pinball business on Federal Hill.{{cite news|last=White|first=Tim|title=The History of New England's Mob Bosses: A Rhode Island legacy of Mafia Dons|url=http://www.wpri.com/dpp/news/local_wpri_underworld_bosses_rhode_island_20081124|publisher=Wpri.com|date=November 24, 2008|access-date=May 10, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110929050829/http://www.wpri.com/dpp/news/local_wpri_underworld_bosses_rhode_island_20081124|archive-date=29 September 2011|url-status=dead}}
Providence Preservation Society organized.
1957 – Dexter Asylum demolished.{{sfn|Brown Daily Herald|2009}}
1958
A one-mile section of Interstate 195 is completed in the Jewelry District; the highway is completed to the state line in 1960.{{cite web |title=Interstate 195 Rhode Island / Massachusetts |url=https://www.interstate-guide.com/i-195-providence/ |website=Interstate Guide |access-date=29 August 2020}}
Construction of Interstate 95 begins in Providence. Over the next few years, Interstates 95 and 195 will demolish large parts of several established neighborhoods, displace hundreds of homes and businesses, and leave the city split into several disconnected segments.{{cite web |title=Interstate 95 |url=https://www.interstate-guide.com/i-095/ |website=Interstate Guide |access-date=29 August 2020}}
1961
A District Master Plan known as "Downtown 1970" is issued by the city. Between 1965 and 1975, several city neighborhoods are razed by the Providence Redevelopment Authority.
July: Construction on Fox Point Hurricane Barrier begun{{cite web|title=Fox Point Hurricane Protection Barrier|url=https://www.nae.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-Works/Flood-Risk-Management/Rhode-Island/Fox-Point/|website=US Army Corps of Engineers|access-date=1 November 2016}}
1962 – Brown Broadcasting Service established.
1964
Westminster Street is converted to a pedestrianized mall, intended to compete with suburban indoor shopping malls.{{cite journal |last1=Coren |first1=Samuel |title=Interface: Providence and the Populist Roots of a Downtown Revival |journal=Journal of Planning History |date=2 May 2016 |volume=16 |issue=1 |pages=4–7 |doi=10.1177/1538513216645620 |s2cid=219960281 |doi-access=free }}
Once-grand Brown & Sharpe Manufacturing Company abandons its sprawling location along the Woonasquatucket River for a modern plant in North Kingstown.{{cite web|title=Brown & Sharpe Manufacturing Company|url=http://local.provplan.org/pps/detail.asp?UID=BRSH|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161223132043/http://local.provplan.org/pps/detail.asp?UID=BRSH|url-status=usurped|archive-date=December 23, 2016|website=Providence Preservation Society|access-date=22 December 2016}}
1966 – January: Fox Point Hurricane Barrier completed
1968 – Rhode Island League of Cities and Towns headquartered in Providence.{{cite web |url=http://www.rileague.org/index.aspx?nid=27 |title=About the League |publisher=Rhode Island League of Cities and Towns |access-date=February 15, 2014 }}
1969 – Current Henderson Bridge opens
1971
Bryant College vacates Providence for Smithfield
Desegregation of the Providence Public Schools
1972 – Providence Zen Center founded.{{cite web |url= http://pluralism.org/religion/timelines |title=Buddhism in America |work=America's Many Religions: Timelines |author=Pluralism Project |publisher=Harvard University |access-date=October 4, 2013}}
1974 — 'Interface: Providence' is released by a Rhode Island School of Design architecture class. This "visionary" and "radical" master plan departs from previous plans and focuses "not how to best to keep the Downtown alive, but rather how to repurpose its ruins" and influences future advocates for Downtown.
1975
Buddy Cianci becomes mayor.
Eight thieves carry out the Bonded Vault heist, the largest heist and, subsequently, the longest and costliest trial in state history.{{cite web|work=WPRI-TV|last=White|first=Tim|title=Secrets of Bonded Vault heist revealed|date=11 November 2010|url=http://wpri.com/2010/11/11/secrets-bonded-vault-heist-revealed/}}{{cite web|title=Secrets of RI's greatest heist revealed by two generations of reporters|work=RINPR|url=http://ripr.org/post/secrets-ris-greatest-heist-revealed-two-generations-reporters|access-date=2 July 2017|last=Donnis|first=Ian}}
1976 - November: Masjid Al-Karim, Islamic Center of Rhode Island, established.{{cite web |url=http://www.pluralism.org/profiles/view/71294|title= Masjid Al-Karim, Islamic Center of Rhode Island (2006) |work=Directory of Religious Centers |author=Pluralism Project |publisher=Harvard University |access-date=26 Jan 2016}}
1978
February: The Great Blizzard paralyzes Providence with nearly 28 inches of snow. Governor J. Joseph Garrahy comforts the city and state by wearing a flannel shirt.{{cite news|last1=Boardman|first1=Liz|title=Governor who led state in blizzard dies at age 81|url=http://www.independentri.com/news/regional/article_4d0db627-96a9-551d-8d69-994a23091f03.html|access-date=9 February 2017|newspaper=The Independent|date=26 Jan 2012}}
City Archives established.{{cite web |url=http://www.providenceri.com/archives/about-us/providence-city-archives |title=Providence City Archives |work=ProvidenceRI.com |publisher=City of Providence |access-date=August 19, 2012}}
The city's jewelry industry peaks, with 32,500 workers, then begins a decline.{{cite news|last1=Abbott|first1=Elizabeth|title=Providence Jewelry District Gets a New Luster|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/01/26/realestate/providence-jewelry-district-gets-a-new-luster.html|access-date=27 July 2016|work=The New York Times|date=26 January 1997}}
1980
Voters approve an $87 million bond issue to improve municipal sewage treatment plant
The Narragansett Bay Commission was formed
The Guinness Book of World Records names the Crawford Street Bridge the "widest in the world" at 1,147 feet.
1984
First Night Providence begins
Mayor Buddy Cianci forced to resign after pleading "no contest" to an assault charge
1986
Providence Business News begins publication.
Providence Station opens.
1989 — The pedestrianized Westminster Mall is torn up and Westminster Street is re-opened to vehicular traffic.
1990 – Governor Henry Lippitt House museum opens (approximate date).{{cite web |url=http://www.preserveri.org/content/gov-henry-lippitt-house-museum-history |title=Governor Henry Lippitt House, 1865 |author=Preserve Rhode Island |access-date=August 19, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121221002048/http://www.preserveri.org/content/gov-henry-lippitt-house-museum-history |archive-date=December 21, 2012 }}
1991
Buddy Cianci returns to the mayor's office
Embezzlement at the Heritage Loan & Investment bank triggers the Rhode Island banking crisis.{{cite web|work=TurnTo10|title=Remembering RISDIC: Controlling the crisis|date=11 November 2010|url=http://turnto10.com/archive/remembering-risdic-controlling-the-crisis|last=Crandall|first=Brian}}{{cite web|work=New York Times|date=2 January 1991|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/01/02/business/45-credit-unions-and-banks-shut-by-rhode-island.html?pagewanted=all|title=45 Credit Unions and Banks Shut by Rhode Island|last=Bradsher|first=Keith}}
1994
Waterplace Park constructed.
WaterFire begins.
Gun court established in the Providence Superior Court.{{cite book|editor=Gregg Lee Carter |title=Guns in American Society: An Encyclopedia of History, Politics, Culture, and the Law |year= 2012|publisher=ABC-CLIO |isbn=978-0-313-38671-8 |chapter=Chronology |chapter-url= https://books.google.com/books?id=QeGJH48PT0kC&pg=PT49 }}
1996 - The Providence Journal goes public and subsequently was purchased by the Dallas-based A.H. Belo Company
1997
City website online (approximate date).{{cite web |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/19971212051839/http://www.providenceri.com/ |url= http://www.providenceri.com/ |archive-date= 1997-12-12 |title= Providence, RI Home Page |via= Internet Archive, Wayback Machine }}
Providence Children's Museum opens.
1999
Providence Place Mall opens.

21st century

2001 - April: Sitting mayor Buddy Cianci is indicted on federal criminal charges of racketeering, conspiracy, extortion, witness tampering, and mail fraud
2002
Soviet submarine K-77 museum opens
September: Mayor Buddy Cianci is sentenced to serve five years in federal prison
2003 – David Cicilline becomes mayor, the first openly gay mayor of a U.S. state capital.
2005 – January: The North American blizzard of 2005 drops 17 inches of snow on downtown Providence{{cite news|last1=Davis|first1=Paul|title=Nothing compares to the Blizzard of '78, Gallery|url=http://www.providencejournal.com/news/20170209/nothing-compares-to-blizzard-of-78-gallery|access-date=9 February 2017|newspaper=The Providence Journal|date=26 January 2015}}
2006 – Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology opens at Brown University.
2007
April 18: Soviet submarine K-77 sinks after a storm.{{cite news|title=Providence submarine museum sinks|url=http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/04/19/providence_submarine_museum_sinks/|access-date=29 October 2015|agency=The Associated Press|newspaper=The Boston Globe|date=19 April 2007}}
May: Former mayor Cianci released from prison{{cite news|title=Cianci leaves prison for Boston halfway house|url=http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/05/31/cianci_leaves_prison_for_boston_halfway_house/|access-date=29 October 2015|agency=Associated Press|newspaper=The Boston Globe|date=31 May 2007}}
November: New Iway bridge opens for eastbound traffic
2008 - Historic Westminster Arcade closes for renovations{{cite news|title=Historic Arcade reopens in Providence|url=http://turnto10.com/archive/historic-arcade-reopens-in-providence|access-date=29 October 2015|agency=Associated Press|publisher=Turn to 10|date=21 October 2013}}
2009 - October: Final section of Iway bridge opens for westbound traffic.{{cite news|last1=Pateakos|first1=Jay|title=Final section of Providence Iway project opens Tuesday|url=http://www.heraldnews.com/article/20091014/News/310148976|access-date=29 October 2015|publisher=The Herald News|date=14 October 2009|location=Fall River, MA}}
2010
Population: 178,042.
March: A series of rainstorms causes severe flood damage. President Obama declares a state of emergency for the region.{{cite news|title=Rhode Island flooding: 'Nobody was prepared'|url=http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/weather/04/01/northeast.flooding/|access-date=29 October 2015|agency=CNN Wire Staff|publisher=CNN|date=2 April 2010}}
2011
January: Angel Taveras becomes mayor.
August 28: Hurricane Irene downs 300-400 trees and leaves 12,700 without power.{{cite news|last1=Stoller|first1=Gary|title=Irene leaves up to half of Rhode Island without power|url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/weather/storms/hurricanes/story/2011-08-28/Irene-pounds-Rhode-Island-155000-without-power/50162892/1|access-date=29 October 2015|newspaper=USA Today|date=28 August 2011}}
October: Occupy protest begins.
November: Open Providence Commission for Transparency and Accountability established.{{cite web |title=Open Providence Commission for Transparency and Accountability |url=http://www.providenceri.com/open-government |publisher=City of Providence |access-date=October 15, 2013 }}
2012 - October 29: Hurricane Sandy hits Providence. The Fox Point Hurricane Barrier is credited with saving the city from major damage.{{cite news|title=At a glance: Damage and recovery from superstorm Sandy state by state|url=http://www.providencejournal.com/article/20131027/NEWS/310279939|access-date=29 October 2015|agency=The Associated Press|newspaper=The Providence Journal|date=27 October 2013}}
2013
February: Winter Storm Nemo drops 27 inches of snow; Hurricane-force winds topple trees, and many people lose power
Historic Westminster Arcade re-opens after renovation
Historic Mayoral portraits in City Hall cleaned and restored{{cite web|title=Thirteen Mayoral Portraits Restored, On Display at City Hall|url=http://providenceri.com/mayor/thirteen-mayoral-portraits-restored-on-display-at|website=Official website of the City of Providence|publisher=City of Providence|access-date=29 October 2015}}
April: The landmark Industrial Trust Building, aka "Superman Building," loses its sole tenant, and goes dark.{{cite news |title=Rhode Island's 'Superman Building' Will Soon Go Dark |url=https://www.wbur.org/news/2013/04/07/superman-building-go-dark |access-date=23 March 2020 |agency=The Associated Press |publisher=WBUR News |date=7 April 2013 |quote=The 26-story Art Deco-style skyscraper, known to some as the "Superman building" for its similarity to the Daily Planet headquarters in the old TV show, is losing its sole tenant this month}}
2014 - October 17: The Phoenix publishes its last print issue{{cite news|last1=Nesi|first1=Ted|title=Providence Phoenix to publish last issue next week|url=http://wpri.com/2014/10/09/providence-phoenix-to-publish-last-issue-next-week/|access-date=26 January 2016|publisher=WPRI News|date=9 Oct 2014}}
2015
January 5: Jorge Elorza sworn in as mayor
January: Kennedy Plaza re-opens after major renovation{{cite news|last1=Gugliotta|first1=Tony|title=Kennedy Plaza reopens after a multi-million dollar renovation|url=http://www.turnto10.com/story/27878935/kennedy-plaza-reopens-after-a-multi-million-dollar-renovation |agency=Turn to 10|date=18 Jan 2015}}
September 20: George Redman Linear Park, a bicycle and pedestrian path on the Washington Bridge, was dedicated.{{cite news|last1=Kuffner|first1=Alex|title=$21.8-million George Redman Linear Park is dedicated to pioneer of R.I. bike paths|url=http://www.providencejournal.com/article/20150921/NEWS/150929825|access-date=22 September 2015|newspaper=The Providence Journal|date=21 September 2015}}
2016
January 28: Former mayor Buddy Cianci dies
February 6–7: Former mayor Cianci lies in state at City Hall{{cite news|last1=Mooney|first1=Tom|title=Providence bids final farewell to Cianci, its longest-serving mayor|url=http://www.providencejournal.com/news/20160208/providence-bids-final-farewell-to-cianci-its-longest-serving-mayor|access-date=9 February 2016|newspaper=The Providence Journal|date=8 Feb 2016}}
February 8: Cianci's funeral procession marches through the city, stopping for a funeral mass at the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul and ending at St. Ann's Cemetery in Cranston for burial.
September 11: Mayor Elorza and the president of the firefighter's union come to an agreement after a 13-month contract dispute.{{cite news|last1=Hill|first1=John|title=Providence firefighters, city reach tentative deal on contract|url=http://www.providencejournal.com/news/20160912/providence-firefighters-city-reach-tentative-deal-on-contract|access-date=13 September 2016|newspaper=The Providence Journal|date=12 September 2016}}
2017 - November: Thousands lose power after Tropical Storm Philippe{{cite news|last1=Hill|first1=John|title=Why did thousands in R.I. lose power for so long?|url=http://www.providencejournal.com/news/20171104/why-did-thousands-in-ri-lose-power-for-so-long|access-date=6 November 2017|newspaper=The Providence Journal|date=4 November 2017}}
2018
May: The Cable Car Cinema, an independent art cinema on South Main Street, closes its doors. The cinema had been in operation since the 1970s.{{cite news |title=Cable Car Cinema to close at the end of May |url=http://www.wpri.com/business-news/cable-car-cinema-to-close-this-month-risd-says/1144430930 |access-date=4 June 2018 |publisher=WPRI |date=27 April 2018}}
September: Providence's first bicycle sharing program begins.{{cite news |last1=Amaral |first1=Brian |title=Watchdog Team: Company behind Jump bikes was stunned by level of vandalism in Providence |url=https://www.providencejournal.com/news/20200520/watchdog-team-company-behind-jump-bikes-was-stunned-by-level-of-vandalism-in-providence |access-date=21 May 2020 |publisher=The Providence Journal |date=20 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200521072109/https://www.providencejournal.com/news/20200520/watchdog-team-company-behind-jump-bikes-was-stunned-by-level-of-vandalism-in-providence |archive-date=21 May 2020}}
2019
July 17: The Wexford Innovation Center opens. It is one of the first projects in the I-195 Redevelopment District.{{cite news |last1=List |first1=Madeline |title=R.I., Providence officials laud opening of 'beehive of innovation' |url=https://www.providencejournal.com/news/20190717/ri-providence-officials-laud-opening-of-beehive-of-innovation |access-date=16 August 2019 |newspaper=The Providence Journal |date=17 July 2019}}
August: Providence's bicycle sharing program is suspended after widespread vandalism and criminal activity.
August 9: The $21.9-million Providence River Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge, built on footings which once carried I-195 across the Providence River, opens.{{cite news |last1=List |first1=Madeline |title=$21.9 million later, pedestrian bridge opens in downtown Providence |url=https://www.providencejournal.com/news/20190809/219-million-later-pedestrian-bridge-opens-in-downtown-providence |access-date=16 August 2019 |newspaper=The Providence Journal |date=9 August 2019}}
2020
January: Mayor Elorza introduces a Great Streets Initiative and Urban Trail Network Master Plan, a framework of public space improvements to encourage walking, riding bicycles, and public transit.{{cite web |title=City of Providence Unveils Final Great Streets Plan |url=https://www.providenceri.gov/city-providence-unveils-final-great-streets-plan/ |website=City of Providence |date=January 27, 2020 |access-date=21 May 2020}}
March: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all dine-in restaurants, bars, movie theaters, and all gatherings of 25 or more are banned in Providence and across the state by order of Governor Raimondo. This brings a halt to nearly all concerts, sports, and other events in the city. Providence public schools and the Providence Place Mall are closed.{{cite news |last1=Miller |first1=G. Wayne |title=Raimondo shutting dine-in restaurants, bars for 2 weeks; 'community spread' of virus now seen in R.I. |url=https://www.providencejournal.com/news/20200316/raimondo-shutting-dine-in-restaurants-bars-for-2-weeks-rsquocommunity-spreadrsquo-of-virus-now-seen-in-ri |access-date=22 March 2020 |publisher=The Providence Journal |date=16 March 2020}} Providence College, Rhode Island College, Brown University, RISD, and Johnson and Wales suspend in-person classes and move to online instruction.{{cite news |title=How local colleges, universities are responding to coronavirus |url=https://www.wpri.com/health/coronavirus/how-ri-universities-colleges-are-responding-to-the-coronavirus/ |access-date=22 March 2020 |publisher=WPRI-12 |date=10 March 2020}}
May 30: Over a week of demonstrations begin as part of a nationwide series of Civil Rights protests.{{cite news |last1=List |first1=Madeline |title=We are tired' say hundreds in rally against killing of George Floyd |url=https://www.providencejournal.com/news/20200530/we-are-tired-say-hundreds-in-rally-against-killing-of-george-floyd |access-date=5 June 2020 |publisher=The Providence Journal |date=30 May 2020}} The marches, attracting as many as 10,000, were called the "largest protest(s) in recent history," and were mostly peaceful, despite violence in other cities.{{cite news |last1=Borg |first1=Linda |title=Only 9 arrests in Providence as 10,000 join 'largest protest' in recent history |url=https://www.providencejournal.com/news/20200606/only-9-arrests-in-providence-as-10000-join-largest-protest-in-recent-history |access-date=6 June 2020 |publisher=The Providence Journal |date=6 June 2020}}
June 2–6: A weeklong curfew is introduced by mayor Jorge Elorza in response to unrest after some early protests, then is rescinded early.{{cite news |last1=List |first1=Madeline |title=Providence curfew to remain in effect for a week |url=https://www.providencejournal.com/news/20200602/providence-curfew-to-remain-in-effect-for-week |access-date=5 June 2020 |publisher=The Providence Journal |date=2 June 2020}}{{cite news |last1=Amaral |first1=Brian |title=Providence quiet on first night under curfew |url=https://www.providencejournal.com/news/20200603/providence-quiet-on-first-night-under-curfew |access-date=5 June 2020 |publisher=The Providence Journal |date=3 June 2020}}{{cite news |last1=Parker |first1=Paul Edward |title=Providence lifts curfew Saturday |url=https://www.providencejournal.com/news/20200606/providence-lifts-curfew-saturday |access-date=6 June 2020 |publisher=The Providence Journal |date=6 June 2020}}
July: Protesters calling to defund the police hold a series of protests and marches at the State House and Public Safety Complex.{{cite news |last1=List |first1=Madeline |title=Demonstrators, police clash in raucous protest on streets of Providence |url=https://www.providencejournal.com/news/20200726/demonstrators-police-clash-in-raucous-protest-on-streets-of-providence |access-date=27 July 2020 |publisher=The Providence Journal |date=26 July 2020}} A civilian police oversight board is established to review police tactics.{{cite news |last1=Mulvaney |first1=Katie |title=Civilian panel to review counterprotest arrests outside Providence police headquarters |url=https://www.providencejournal.com/news/20200725/civilian-panel-to-review-counterprotest-arrests-outside-providence-police-headquarters |access-date=27 July 2020 |publisher=The Providence Journal |date=25 July 2020}}
2021 - May 14: Eight people are shot and wounded (ninth victim wounded from glass shards) in Washington Park. The shooting was believed by authorities to have stemmed from conflict between two rival groups. Dozens of shots were fired in the gang shootout.{{Cite news |title=9 injured, 3 seriously, in shooting in Providence's Washington Park |url=https://www.providencejournal.com/story/news/local/2021/05/13/providence-shooting-injures-multiple-people/5082896001/}} It was the largest number of victims of any shooting in Providence history.{{cite web|url= https://www.turnto10.com/amp/news/local/multiple-people-shot-in-providence-police-say|title= Shootout between rival groups in Providence leaves 9 hurt|publisher=TurnTo10}} In 2022, three adult males were sentenced to 10-12 years in prison each, plus 20 years of parole each.{{Cite news |title=3 men sentenced to prison in Providence shooting that wounded 8 |url=https://www.providencejournal.com/story/news/local/2022/06/30/providence-ri-carolina-avenue-mass-shooting-guilty-plea-prison-sentence/7777492001/}}
2023
January 2: Brett Smiley sworn in as 39th mayor of Providence.
December 11: A structural engineer discovers a "critical structural failure" in the Washington Bridge, causing the DOT to close all Interstate 195 westbound lanes, causing "catastrophic traffic" throughout Providence and neighboring East Providence.{{cite news |last1=Anderson |first1=Patrick |title=Timeline of the Washington Bridge closure: Here's how it all happened |url=https://www.providencejournal.com/story/news/politics/state/2024/02/01/washington-bridge-closure-timeline-how-it-all-happened/72423248007/ |access-date=4 February 2024 |publisher=The Providence Journal |date=1 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240204191305/https://www.providencejournal.com/story/news/politics/state/2024/02/01/washington-bridge-closure-timeline-how-it-all-happened/72423248007/ |archive-date=4 February 2024}}
December 15: An emergency bypass is opened on the Washington Bridge, which allows two lanes of westbound traffic to use two lanes of the eastbound span.
2024 - The Independent Man, a 14-foot gilded statue atop the State House, is restored.{{cite news |last1=Laverty |first1=Dana Rae |title=Gold Rush: A Look Inside the Independent Man’s Restoration Process |url=https://www.rimonthly.com/independent-man-restoration/ |access-date=30 December 2024 |publisher=Rhode Island Monthly |date=18 December 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241229060201/https://www.rimonthly.com/independent-man-restoration/ |archive-date=29 December 2024}}

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| ref = {{harvid|Sampson|1919}}

}}

{{Citation |location = Boston |publisher=Houghton Mifflin |series=American Guide Series |title = Rhode Island: a Guide to the Smallest State |author = Federal Writers' Project |date = 1937 |chapter=Providence |hdl=2027/mdp.39015046809193?urlappend=%3Bseq=336 |chapter-url= http://hdl.handle.net/2027/mdp.39015046809193?urlappend=%3Bseq=336 |author-link=Federal Writers' Project }}
{{citation |title=Rhode Island, Modern City-State |year=1948 |volume=94 |work=National Geographic Magazine |location=Washington DC

}} (describes Providence)

{{cite book|last=Conforti|first=Joseph|title=Our Heritage: a History of East Providence|year=1976|publisher=Monarch Publishing, Inc.|location=White Plains, New York

}}

{{Citation

|publisher = E.P. Dutton |location = New York |title = Encyclopedia of American Cities |date = 1980 |ol=4120668M |editor=Ory Mazar Nergal |chapter=Providence, Rhode Island }}

{{cite book|editor=Trudy Ring and Robert M. Salkin |title= Americas |series=International Dictionary of Historic Places |year= 1995 |publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-134-25930-4 |chapter= Providence |page=524+ |chapter-url= https://books.google.com/books?id=zTL_AQAAQBAJ&pg=PA524 }}

;Published in the 21st century

{{Citation |publisher = Lonely Planet |title = New England |date = 2002 |edition=3rd |ol=24765202M |chapter=Rhode Island: Providence }}
{{citation |url=http://www.browndailyherald.com/2009/02/27/the-east-sides-untold-story/|title=The East Side's Untold Story|last1=Li|first1=Sophia|date=27 February 2009 |work=Brown Daily Herald

| ref = {{harvid|Brown Daily Herald|2009}}

}}

External links

{{cite web |url=http://www.providenceri.com/archives/history |title=History |author=City Archives |work=ProvidenceRI.com |publisher=City of Providence }}
[http://dp.la/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&page_size=100&q=providence+rhode+island Works related to Providence], various dates (via Digital Public Library of America).
{{cite web |title=Providence |work= Atlas of the Rhode Island Book Trade in the Eighteenth Century |url= http://rihs.org/atlas/results.php?town=Providence |date=2010 |publisher= Rhode Island Historical Society }}
[http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/historical/providence_ri_1904.jpg Map of Providence], 1904

Category:Years in Rhode Island

Providence