1. On January 11, 1787, William B. Giles was born in Amelia County, Virginia. He went on to become a lawyer, a member of the Virginia House of Delegates, and a United States Senator from Virginia.

2. The Battle of Cowpens took place on January 11, 1781, in South Carolina during the Revolutionary War. Virginia troops played a vital role in the American victory over British forces.

3. On January 11, 1861, the Commonwealth of Virginia held a convention to consider seceding from the United States. The convention ultimately voted to leave the Union, but not all Virginia counties agreed, leading to the creation of West Virginia.

4. The Virginia Military Institute was founded on January 11, 1839, in Lexington, Virginia. The institution has produced many notable military leaders, including Confederate General Stonewall Jackson.

5. On January 11, 1944, the USS Lexington was commissioned in Portsmouth, Virginia. The aircraft carrier served in World War II and the Korean War before being decommissioned in 1991 and turned into a museum ship.