1. Virginia officially became a state on October 1, 1776, as it was one of the original 13 colonies to sign the Declaration of Independence.
2. On October 1, 1861, the Battle of Greenbrier River took place during the American Civil War. It was a small skirmish between the Confederate Army of General Henry R. Jackson and the Union Army of Brig. Gen. Joseph J. Reynolds, resulting in a Confederate victory.
3. In 1922, the Virginia Tech college football team played their first game at Lane Stadium on October 1, defeating St. Albans College with a score of 14-0. Lane Stadium is now known as one of the loudest and most intimidating college football stadiums in the country.
4. The Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, connecting Virginia’s Eastern Shore to the mainland, officially opened on October 1, 1964. It spans 17.6 miles and includes two tunnels and two bridges, making it one of the longest bridge-tunnel complexes in the world.
5. On October 1, 2007, Virginia Governor Tim Kaine signed a bill that established the Virginia Freedom of Information Advisory Council. This council provides guidance and assistance to the government and the public on the Freedom of Information Act, ensuring transparency and openness in Virginia’s government.