1. In 1676, Nathaniel Bacon, leader of Bacon's Rebellion, declared martial law in Virginia, seizing control of Jamestown and burning it to the ground.

2. In 1777, the Continental Congress ordered the construction of a fleet of ships to protect American interests in Chesapeake Bay. This was instrumental in securing a victory for the patriots at the Battle of Yorktown four years later.

3. In 1862, the Battle of Antietam took place in Maryland, just a few miles from the Virginia border. This was the bloodiest single-day battle in American history, with over 23,000 casualties on both sides.

4. In 1927, the University of Virginia School of Law admitted its first female student, Virginia Prince. She went on to have a successful legal career and was known for her advocacy on behalf of the LGBTQ+ community.

5. In 2006, the Virginia Tech shooting took place, with 32 people killed and 17 injured in a mass shooting at the Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg. This tragedy sparked renewed national conversation about gun control and mental health.