1. In 1862, the Battle of Chickasaw Bayou began near Vicksburg, Mississippi. Virginia played a significant role in the Civil War, providing soldiers and resources to both the Union and Confederate armies.
2. On December 28, 1895, the first motor car race in Virginia took place in Richmond. This event marked the beginning of Virginia's love affair with automobiles and racing.
3. In 1904, Virginia-born author and poet, Julian Kilman, was born. Kilman was known for her powerful portrayals of African American life in the American South, and won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1950.
4. On this day in 1947, the first regularly scheduled television network news program in the United States, NBC's "Camel Newsreel Theatre," premiered. While it didn't happen in Virginia, this event was significant for the impact it had on the media landscape in Virginia and throughout the country.
5. In 1973, the Virginia General Assembly enacted the Virginia Human Rights Act, making it illegal to discriminate in employment, housing, and public accommodations on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, or handicap. This landmark legislation marked a major step forward for civil rights in Virginia.