1. In 1814, during the War of 1812, the Battle of Bladensburg occurred in Maryland, just outside of Washington D.C. On August 24, British troops defeated American forces and entered the capital, setting fire to several government buildings.

2. On August 24, 1818, the Virginia House of Delegates passed a resolution recommending the adoption of a new constitution for the state, which was eventually ratified in 1830. The new constitution abolished property requirements for voting, expanded the right to vote to all white adult men, and established a bicameral legislature.

3. In 1912, the Virginia State Fair opened in Richmond on August 24, featuring agricultural exhibits, livestock competitions, and carnival rides. The fair has continued annually to the present day, except during World War II.

4. August 24, 1918 marked the opening of Camp Lee, a military training camp in Petersburg, Virginia, which was named in honor of Confederate General Robert E. Lee. Tens of thousands of soldiers were trained at the camp during World War I and World War II.

5. On August 24, 1968, the Virginia Gubernatorial Election took place, in which incumbent Democratic Governor Mills E. Godwin Jr. defeated Republican challenger J. Marshall Coleman by a narrow margin of less than 2 percent of the vote. Godwin went on to serve a second term as governor from 1974 to 1978.