1) On January 10, 1861, the Convention of Virginia voted to secede from the United States, becoming the eighth state to do so. This decision ultimately led to the American Civil War.

2) Virginia-born Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson, one of the most famous Confederate generals of the Civil War, was born on January 10, 1824.

3) On January 10, 1781, General Nathanael Greene led Continental Army troops to victory over British forces at the Battle of Cowpens in South Carolina. Many Virginia soldiers played a key role in this battle.

4) Representative Thomas Staples Martin, who served as a U.S. Senator from Virginia from 1895 to 1919, was born on January 10, 1847. Martin was a prominent member of the Democratic Party, and was known for his support of progressive policies such as women's suffrage and regulation of big businesses.

5) On January 10, 1901, journalist William Lloyd Garrison died in New York City. Garrison was a prominent abolitionist and publisher of the anti-slavery newspaper The Liberator, and played a key role in the movement to end slavery in the United States. Although he was not from Virginia, his influence was felt throughout the country, including in Virginia.