1. In 1864, the Battle of Wilderness began in Spotsylvania County, Virginia between Union and Confederate forces. The battle lasted for two days and resulted in heavy casualties for both sides.

2. On May 6, 1937, the Hindenburg airship disaster occurred in New Jersey, but a survivor of the crash, Werner Franz, was a resident of Virginia. He worked as a cabin boy on the airship.

3. In 1954, a historic Supreme Court decision was made in the case of Brown v. Board of Education, which declared segregation in public schools to be unconstitutional. The case was brought by several African American families in Virginia, including the famous case of Barbara Johns in Prince Edward County.

4. May 6, 1972 was the opening day of Kings Dominion amusement park in Doswell, Virginia. Today, it is one of the largest theme parks on the East Coast.

5. Virginia native and musician Pharrell Williams was born on May 6, 1973 in Virginia Beach. He went on to become a Grammy Award-winning artist and producer, and has also been involved in various philanthropic endeavors.