1. In 1755, the Battle of the Monongahela took place near present-day Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Virginia militia, including a young George Washington, fought alongside British troops against French and Native American forces.

2. In 1861, the Battle of Rich Mountain occurred during the American Civil War. Union troops under General George B. McClellan defeated Confederate forces led by General Robert S. Garnett, securing western Virginia for the Union.

3. In 1939, the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) first admitted female cadets to its summer session. However, it would take another 57 years for VMI to fully integrate its female cadets into the regular academic year.

4. In 1981, Earl Lloyd of Alexandria, Virginia became the first African American to be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. Lloyd played for the Washington Capitols and was also the first African American to play in an NBA game.

5. In 2016, Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe signed an executive order restoring voting rights to more than 200,000 convicted felons who had completed their sentences. The move was criticized by some who saw it as a partisan effort to boost Democratic Party voter turnout.