1. On January 7, 1785, the Virginia Assembly passed the Religious Freedom Act, which was authored by Thomas Jefferson. This law outlawed religious persecution and ensured the separation of church and state, and it served as a model for the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.

2. Exactly one year later, on January 7, 1786, Virginia became the first state to establish a state-supported college with the founding of the College of William and Mary. The school was founded at the request of King William III and Queen Mary II of England.

3. On January 7, 1842, the first trial of the case Commonwealth v. Huntley took place in Jefferson County, Virginia. This was a landmark trial in which a slave woman named Lucy was charged with attempting to kill her owner, but the defense argued that Lucy had acted in self-defense due to repeated abuse. Lucy was ultimately acquitted of all charges in a verdict that helped to shape future discussions of slavery and the law.

4. On January 7, 1948, the Virginia General Assembly passed an anti-segregation bill that prohibited discrimination based on race in public transportation, schools, and other public facilities. This was a significant step forward in the Civil Rights Movement in Virginia, and it preceded the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision by the Supreme Court by six years.

5. Finally, on January 7, 2020, Virginia made history by becoming the 38th state to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). The ERA is a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution that would guarantee equal rights for women, and the ratification by Virginia brought the amendment one step closer to being added to the Constitution.