1. On January 5, 1757, lawyer and political figure Peyton Randolph was born in Williamsburg, Virginia. He went on to serve as the first President of the Continental Congress during the American Revolution.

2. In 1861, on January 5, Virginia voted to secede from the Union, becoming the eighth state to do so. This decision ultimately led to Virginia's participation in the Civil War as part of the Confederacy.

3. On January 5, 1908, a fire broke out in the historic Hotel Richmond in Richmond, Virginia. The fire destroyed much of the building, which had been a popular destination for visitors to the state capital.

4. In 1922, on January 5, pioneering pilot and aviation record-breaker Ruth Elder was born in Anniston, Alabama. She later moved to the Virginia Beach area and continued to fly, setting new records and paving the way for women in aviation.

5. January 5, 1961, marked the opening of Thomas Jefferson High School in Richmond, Virginia. The school was named after the third President of the United States, who had also been a resident of Virginia and had played a significant role in the formation of the state's government.