Here are five interesting facts about May 28 in Virginia history:

1. On May 28, 1861, Virginia officially became a member of the Confederacy. The state seceded from the Union just weeks earlier on April 17, 1861.

2. Two U.S. Navy ships collided in the James River near Newport News on May 28, 1907. The USS Illinois and the USS Kearsarge collided during a naval review, resulting in damage to both ships and the death of several crew members.

3. On May 28, 1917, the Virginia State Corporation Commission was established. The commission oversees a number of functions related to business and utilities, including regulating electric, gas, and water companies.

4. Virginia Governor Thomas B. Stanley signed the state's first sales tax law on May 28, 1954. The tax rate was one percent.

5. On May 28, 1976, Virginia Governor Mills E. Godwin Jr. signed a bill that raised the legal drinking age from 18 to 19. The move came as part of a national trend to raise the drinking age in response to concerns about drunk driving accidents involving young people.