1. On February 13, 1732, the first public aution house in America was established in Williamsburg, Virginia. The auction house, known as the Raleigh Tavern Auction Rooms, quickly became a popular venue for buying and selling goods in the Virginia colony.

2. In 1861, on February 13, Virginia delegates to the Secession Convention voted to secede from the Union and join the Confederacy. The decision was contentious and deeply divided the state. Virginia became a crucial military and political battleground during the Civil War.

3. On February 13, 1913, the Virginia General Assembly passed a law requiring all motorists to carry liability insurance. This was one of the first laws of its kind in the United States, and it helped pave the way for the widespread adoption of auto insurance.

4. In 2007, on February 13, a Virginia Tech student named Emily Hilscher was tragically murdered by a fellow student. Hilscher's death was the first of 32 people killed during the infamous Virginia Tech shooting spree that took place on April 16 of that year.

5. On February 13, 2014, same-sex marriage was briefly legalized in Virginia. A federal judge had struck down the state's ban on same-sex marriage, but the decision was temporarily stayed pending an appeal. For a few brief hours, however, same-sex couples were able to legally marry in the state before the stay was reinstated.