1. In 1775, Virginia's last royal governor, Lord Dunmore, issued a proclamation offering freedom to any enslaved person who would join the British forces fighting against the American Revolutionaries. This led to the formation of the Ethiopian Regiment, a unit of black soldiers that fought for the British.

2. In 1825, the Marquis de Lafayette, a French nobleman and hero of the American Revolution, visited Virginia as part of his grand tour of the United States. He received a hero's welcome in Richmond, where a parade was held in his honor.

3. On October 9, 1864, the Battle of Tom's Brook was fought in Shenandoah County during the American Civil War. Union cavalry under General George Custer defeated Confederate cavalry under General Thomas Rosser, inflicting a significant blow to the Confederate Army in the Shenandoah Valley.

4. In 1962, the first black student, Vivian W. Malone, enrolled at the University of Virginia. Malone's enrollment was the result of the landmark Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education, which mandated the desegregation of public schools.

5. On October 9, 2012, Virginia Senator Timothy M. Kaine faced off against Republican nominee George Allen in a televised debate ahead of the 2012 U.S. Senate election. The debate was notable for its discussion of controversial issues such as abortion and same-sex marriage. Kaine went on to win the election, becoming Virginia's junior senator.