1. On March 9, 1862, the Battle of Hampton Roads took place during the American Civil War. It was one of the largest naval battles in history and saw the first ironclad ships, the USS Monitor and CSS Virginia, engage in combat.

2. March 9, 1916 marks the founding of the Virginia State Parks system. Currently, there are 40 state parks in Virginia that cover over 73,000 acres of land.

3. The Virginia General Assembly ratified the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution on March 9, 1952. This amendment granted women the right to vote, and Virginia was the 38th state to do so, officially making the amendment law.

4. On March 9, 1961, the Virginia Woolen Company in Martinsville was purchased by Cone Mills Corporation. The acquisition led to the growth of the textile industry in Martinsville and Henry County, making the area a major center of textile manufacturing for many years.

5. The University of Virginia men's basketball team won the 2014 ACC Men's Basketball Tournament on March 9, 2014. This was the second time in school history that the team had won the conference tournament, and they went on to reach the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament later that month.