1. On August 9, 1859, abolitionist John Brown held a meeting at the Kennedy Farmhouse in present-day Charles Town, West Virginia. The meeting was in preparation for the raid on the Harpers Ferry Armory, which Brown and his supporters carried out in October of that year.

2. In 1965, the Voting Rights Act was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson. The act aimed to prevent discriminatory voting practices, particularly against African Americans in Southern states like Virginia.

3. On August 9, 1918, the Battle of Amiens began during World War I. This battle was significant in that it marked the beginning of the Allies' Hundred Days Offensive, which would eventually lead to the end of the war.

4. Virginia native and former University of Virginia basketball player Ralph Sampson was born on August 9, 1960. Sampson went on to have a successful NBA career, playing for teams including the Houston Rockets and the Golden State Warriors.

5. The Virginia State Capitol building in Richmond was designed by Thomas Jefferson and is considered one of the most important examples of American neoclassical architecture. The cornerstone of the building was laid on August 9, 1785.