READING ROOM

Have you ever wondered what happened on a certain day in Virginia? Here is your chance to find out. This Day in Virginia History allows you to explore Virginia's past through the collections of the Library of Virginia. You'll discover that not only do our collections represent the famous, infamous, and unknown, but also that each item we hold has a story to tell. Both the extraordinary milestones of history and the commonplace moments that make up the lives of Virginians are shown here in a tiny sample of the archival records that Virginians have left behind.

Written records of Virginia begin more than 400 years ago! We've collected over 600 of the most important, pivotal, weird, or significant events of Virginia history in our chronology. Browse through the timeline or select a historical time period and see how our commonwealth developed into the great state it is today.

This feature highlights unique and interesting items found by the Library's archivists while processing documents and assisting records managers in Virginia's cities and counties. From the famous to infamous, the curious to the commonplace, there are thousands of stories to be told and voices to be heard in the many archival and manuscript collections at the Library of Virginia. Every month or two, we'll post new "stories" from the collections. So check back often!