1. On February 17, 1864, the Union army launched a surprise raid on the Confederate capital of Richmond. The raid was led by General Hugh Judson Kilpatrick, and although it ultimately failed to achieve its objectives, it did manage to disrupt Confederate communications and cause some damage to the city.

2. February 17, 1673, marked the day that the first printing press was established in Virginia. The press was set up in the capital of Jamestown, and the first book to be printed was a collection of laws and statutes.

3. In 1936, on February 17, The Norfolk Journal and Guide, an African-American newspaper, published an article exposing the poor conditions at a local hospital for African-American patients. The article led to an investigation and eventually brought about much-needed improvements to the hospital.

4. On February 17, 1950, the Virginia Board of Education adopted the state's first official plan to combat racial segregation in public schools. The plan, known as the Gray Plan, proposed a gradual desegregation of schools but was ultimately rejected by both black and white parents and educators.

5. February 17, 1865, marked the day that the Confederate submarine H.L. Hunley sank the Union warship USS Housatonic off the coast of Charleston, South Carolina. Although the Hunley also sank in the attack, it is considered to be the first submarine in history to successfully sink an enemy warship in combat.