1. On May 2, 1769, Thomas Jefferson began construction on his Monticello estate. The now-famous plantation, located near Charlottesville, Virginia, was Jefferson's lifelong home and took over 40 years to complete.

2. May 2, 1863, marked the beginning of the Battle of Chancellorsville during the American Civil War. Confederate General Robert E. Lee won a decisive victory over Union General Joseph Hooker, but at a heavy cost. Lee's trusted lieutenant, Stonewall Jackson, was accidentally shot by his own men and died a few days later.

3. On May 2, 1907, the Virginia General Assembly voted to segregate public schools by race. The decision paved the way for decades of unjust and unequal treatment of African American students in the state.

4. In 1929, the State Corporation Commission ordered Virginia Electric and Power Company (now Dominion Energy) to reduce its rates to customers. This decision marked a significant victory for consumers in the ongoing battle over fair utility pricing.

5. May 2, 2007, marked the inauguration of Virginia's 70th governor, Tim Kaine. Kaine, who had previously served as Lt. Governor and Mayor of Richmond, went on to become the chair of the Democratic National Committee and a Senator from Virginia.