1. In 1848, Virginia held a constitutional convention on February 29 to revise the state's constitution. This convention resulted in several changes to the document, including the removal of the voting rights restriction based on land ownership.

2. On February 29, 1928, Virginia native Paul Doerr became the first person to ever win an Academy Award for Best Sound for his work on the film "The Jazz Singer".

3. On February 29, 1956, more than 1,000 civil rights activists marched on the Virginia State Capitol in Richmond to protest segregation and racial discrimination in the state. The protest was organized by the Virginia State Conference of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and became known as the "Virginia Hill March".

4. In 2020, February 29 marked the last day of Virginia's legislative session. Lawmakers worked late into the night to pass several key bills, including those on criminal justice reform and voting rights.

5. On February 29, 2016, Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe signed a bill into law that established a state holiday honoring Virginia native Maggie L. Walker, who was the first African American woman to charter a banking institution in the United States. Walker, who was born on July 15, 1864, is also known for her activism on behalf of civil rights and women's suffrage.