1. In 1787, Virginia became the tenth state to ratify the United States Constitution. The state's ratification was crucial in creating a strong federal government and shaping the country's political landscape.

2. On June 26, 1862, the Confederate Army under General Stonewall Jackson defeated Union forces at the Battle of Mechanicsville during the American Civil War. The victory allowed the Confederates to launch an offensive against Union troops in Virginia.

3. The iconic Virginia Museum of Fine Arts opened its doors on June 26, 1936. The museum's extensive collection of art includes works by European masters, American artists, and contemporary pieces.

4. In 1970, Virginia officially repealed its anti-miscegenation law, which had prohibited interracial marriage. The landmark Supreme Court case Loving v. Virginia had declared such laws unconstitutional in 1967, but it took several years for Virginia to remove the law from its state constitution.

5. On June 26, 2015, the Supreme Court of the United States issued a historic ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges, legalizing same-sex marriage throughout the country. The decision was celebrated by many Virginians and sparked a wave of LGBTQ activism in the state.