1. On January 20, 1781, British troops led by General Benedict Arnold burned down the town of Richmond, Virginia, as part of their strategy to defeat the American Revolution.

2. In 1862, Confederate General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson successfully captured the city of Romney, West Virginia, which was then under the control of the Union. This victory helped strengthen the Confederate hold on western Virginia.

3. On January 20, 1937, Franklin D. Roosevelt was inaugurated for his second term as President of the United States. This was significant for Virginia, as the state had been hit particularly hard by the Great Depression, and Roosevelt's New Deal policies helped spur economic recovery.

4. In 1982, Virginia Governor Charles Robb issued a proclamation declaring January 20 to be Robert E. Lee Day, a state holiday honoring the Confederate general. This holiday has since been combined with Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which is observed on the third Monday of January.

5. On January 20, 2018, thousands of women marched through the streets of Richmond and other Virginia cities as part of the Women's March, a nationwide protest against the policies and rhetoric of President Donald Trump. The event was one of the largest political demonstrations in Virginia history, and highlighted the state's progressive political activism.