1. On September 25, 1676, the Battle of Bloody Run took place near present-day Richmond. It was a significant conflict in Bacon's Rebellion, an armed uprising against Virginia's colonial government.

2. The Virginia Military Institute was founded on September 25, 1839. It is the oldest state-supported military college in the United States and has produced many notable alumni, including 13 Medal of Honor recipients.

3. The Prohibition of Alcohol in the United States officially began on September 25, 1919, with the passage of the Volstead Act. Virginia, along with many other states, struggled with enforcing the new law and saw a rise in bootlegging and organized crime.

4. On September 25, 1960, Martin Luther King Jr. spoke at Virginia Union University in Richmond. His speech, titled "The Future of Integration," was part of the school's religious emphasis week and addressed the ongoing struggle for civil rights in the United States.

5. The iconic blue-roofed gas stations of the Gulf Oil company made their debut in Virginia on September 25, 1963. The first station with the distinctive design was opened in Manassas and quickly became a recognizable feature on highways across the country.