1. On July 31, 1809, the Virginia Gazette reported that former President Thomas Jefferson had returned to Monticello from Washington, D.C. after serving two terms as president.

2. On July 31, 1862, the Confederate ironclad CSS Virginia II, also known as the Merrimack, was destroyed by Confederate forces to prevent it from falling into Union hands.

3. On July 31, 1917, the Commonwealth of Virginia accepted a gift of 650 acres of land from the United States government to establish the National War Training School at the University of Virginia.

4. On July 31, 1950, Virginia native Earl Lloyd became the first African American to play in the National Basketball Association (NBA) when he suited up for the Washington Capitols against the Rochester Royals.

5. On July 31, 2013, Virginia's controversial voter identification law went into effect, requiring voters to show a valid photo ID at the polls. The law has been challenged in court multiple times as potentially discriminatory towards certain demographic groups.