1. On January 25, 1844, the University of Virginia founded a chapter of the Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity, one of the earliest fraternities to take root on the Charlottesville campus. Today, Phi Kappa Sigma is still an active fraternity at UVA, with a focus on community service and leadership development.

2. In January of 1865, Virginia became the last Confederate state to abolish slavery when the state legislature ratified the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. This momentous occasion marked the end of a long and painful struggle for emancipation in Virginia, and helped to set the stage for the civil rights movement that would follow in the decades to come.

3. On January 25, 1956, African American students from Robert Russa Moton High School in Farmville, Virginia, went on strike to protest the conditions of their segregated school. This protest would eventually lead to the landmark Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision, which declared segregation in public schools to be unconstitutional.

4. On January 25, 1986, the first annual Richmond Symphony Orchestra Ball was held at the Jefferson Hotel in Richmond, Virginia. This event would become a beloved Virginia tradition, featuring live music, dancing, and other festive activities in support of the Richmond Symphony Orchestra's ongoing mission to bring the joy of classical music to audiences young and old.

5. In January of 2017, Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe declared a statewide state of emergency in response to a series of severe winter storms that left much of the state buried under several feet of snow. The governor's declaration mobilized state resources and allowed emergency personnel to better coordinate their efforts to keep Virginia's citizens safe and secure during this challenging time.