1. In 1864, Union troops under General Benjamin Butler launched a successful attack on Confederate defenses at Spotsylvania Court House. The battle would become one of the bloodiest of the Civil War.

2. On May 11, 1932, the first Virginia State Park opened to the public. Natural Bridge State Park was created to preserve the famous landmark, which had been a tourist attraction since the 18th century.

3. Virginia's first commercial radio station, WDBJ in Roanoke, began broadcasting on May 11, 1926. The station was initially owned by a local newspaper, The Roanoke Times.

4. In 1933, the Virginia General Assembly approved a bill to establish the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond. The museum would officially open in 1936 and has since become one of the largest art museums in the United States.

5. On May 11, 2005, Virginia Governor Mark Warner signed legislation to establish the Virginia Indian Commemorative Commission. The commission was tasked with developing strategies to recognize and honor the contributions of Virginia's Native American communities.