1. In 1771, the Battle of Alamance took place in present-day Alamance County, North Carolina, which was then a part of Virginia. The battle was fought between a group of farmers known as Regulators and colonial officials, and it marked one of the earliest actions of resistance against British rule in America.

2. On May 16, 1842, the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) was founded in Lexington, Virginia. The school was established as a state-funded military academy that would train cadets to serve in the armed forces, and it remains one of the most prestigious military colleges in the country.

3. In 1889, a devastating fire broke out in the city of Richmond, Virginia, that destroyed over 800 buildings and consumed almost the entire downtown area. The fire was caused by an electrical spark in a warehouse, and it resulted in millions of dollars in damages and the displacement of thousands of residents.

4. On May 16, 1929, the Virginia State Capitol building in Richmond was dedicated. The iconic neoclassical structure was designed by Thomas Jefferson and completed in 1788, making it the oldest continuously used state capitol building in the United States.

5. The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries was established on May 16, 1940, with the goal of conserving and managing the state's wildlife resources for future generations. Today, the department is responsible for a wide range of activities, including stocking fish in rivers and lakes, regulating hunting and fishing activities, and managing state-owned wildlife areas.