Here are 5 interesting facts about April 13 in Virginia history:

1. On April 13, 1776, the Virginia Convention unanimously approved a resolution instructing its delegates to the Continental Congress to advocate for independence from Great Britain. Richard Henry Lee, a delegate from Virginia, later presented the resolution to Congress, which led to the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.

2. On April 13, 1861, Confederate forces in Virginia fired on Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina, marking the beginning of the American Civil War. Virginia seceded from the Union just days later, becoming the eighth state to do so.

3. On April 13, 1943, the Virginia General Assembly passed the Gray Commission Act, which established the Gray Commission to study the state's public school system and make recommendations for improvement. The commission's report, published in 1948, laid the groundwork for major education reform in Virginia.

4. On April 13, 1951, the United States Army established Fort Lee in Virginia as a training center for Quartermaster Corps and other logistical units. Today, Fort Lee is home to the Army's Combined Arms Support Command, as well as the Army Logistics University and other key logistical training centers.

5. On April 13, 1993, Virginia Governor L. Douglas Wilder signed into law the Virginia General Assembly's resolution formally apologizing for the state's role in slavery and racial discrimination. The resolution acknowledged that "the vestiges of past injustices and misdeeds still linger" in Virginia and pledged to work towards healing the wounds of the past.