1. Founding of the Virginia Military Institute: On November 10, 1839, the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) was founded in Lexington, Virginia. The school was established to provide military education for the state's citizens and continues to operate as a public military college.

2. First African American Governor Elected: On November 10, 1989, Douglas Wilder was elected as the Governor of Virginia, becoming the first African American to hold the position. Wilder was a civil rights activist and served as the Governor until 1994.

3. Virginia's First Constitution Adopted: On November 10, 1776, the Virginia Convention adopted Virginia's first constitution, which established the state as a commonwealth and defined the powers of the government branches.

4. Virginia's First Execution by Electric Chair: On November 10, 1908, Virginia executed its first prisoner by electrocution in Richmond. The convicted murderer was named Brandon and it paved the way for Virginia to become the first state to use the electric chair as its primary method of execution.

5. First Satellite Sent into Space by a U.S. Citizen: On November 10, 1961, Virgil "Gus" Grissom, a native of Mitchell, Indiana who attended the University of Virginia, became the first U.S. citizen to send a satellite into space. He launched the Mercury-Redstone 2 spacecraft from Cape Canaveral, Florida.