1. In 1779, the Virginia General Assembly passed a resolution calling for the observance of December 24 as a day of fasting, humiliation, and prayer. This was done in response to the ongoing American Revolutionary War and the need for divine intervention in the conflict.

2. On December 24, 1809, the Virginia State Penitentiary opened its doors in Richmond, becoming the first state prison in the United States. The institution was fully operational by the following spring and housed both male and female inmates.

3. In 1861, Union troops under the command of General Benjamin F. Butler occupied Fort Monroe on December 24, marking the beginning of Union control over the strategic location at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. The fort was a key staging ground for Union forces during the American Civil War.

4. On December 24, 1906, the Great 1906 Atlantic Hurricane made landfall near Norfolk, Virginia, causing extensive damage and loss of life. The storm caused widespread flooding and destroyed numerous buildings, including the Virginia State Hospital for the Insane.

5. In 1947, the Virginia General Assembly abolished the state's poll tax on December 24. The tax, which had been in place since the late 1800s, had been used to disenfranchise Black voters and other minorities. Its abolition was a significant victory for civil rights in Virginia.