1. On January 15, 1920, the 18th Amendment to the United States Constitution went into effect, ushering in the era of Prohibition. Virginia was one of the states that initially supported Prohibition, but the law proved hard to enforce and was eventually repealed in 1933.
2. On January 15, 1968, the Virginia State Capitol was designated a National Historic Landmark. The Capitol building, designed by Thomas Jefferson, has been home to the Virginia General Assembly since 1788.
3. On January 15, 1865, Union General Alfred Terry captured Fort Fisher, a key Confederate stronghold in North Carolina. The capture of Fort Fisher allowed Union troops to more easily blockade Confederate ports and effectively cut off supply lines to Confederate armies.
4. On January 15, 1983, the Virginia Symphony Orchestra performed its inaugural concert at the Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk. The symphony has since become one of the largest in the Southeast, performing throughout Virginia and beyond.
5. On January 15, 1977, the Virginia Cavaliers men's basketball team upset the second-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish 75-72 in Charlottesville. The victory was one of the highlights of a season that saw Virginia reach the Final Four for the first time in school history.