1. On August 18, 1920, the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified, granting women the right to vote. Virginia was one of the 36 states needed to ratify the amendment, making it a significant milestone in Virginia and national history.

2. On August 18, 1786, Virginia's Governor Thomas Jefferson wrote a letter to James Madison outlining his belief in religious freedom and the separation of church and state. This letter, known as the "Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom," would later influence the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

3. On August 18, 1834, the Virginia State Penitentiary opened in Richmond. This was one of the first prisons in the United States to use a "penitentiary" system, designed to rehabilitate prisoners rather than just punish them.

4. On August 18, 1862, the Battle of Cedar Mountain was fought near Culpeper, VA during the American Civil War. Confederate General Stonewall Jackson attacked Union forces, led by General Nathaniel Banks, and won the battle, effectively consolidating the Confederate hold on northern Virginia.

5. On August 18, 1954, legendary Virginia musician Patsy Cline recorded her first songs for Four Star Records in Washington D.C. This recording session launched her career and set the stage for her eventual induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame.