22 Amazing Virginia Facts

By Karin Lehnardt, Senior Writer

Published October 3, 2023

Humans occupied Daugherty's Cave and the Breeding site in Virginia 8000 BCE to 1600 CE. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places._[4]
In 1848, enslaved African Henry Brown's white friend helped him climb into a box and then mailed him by express from Virginia to Philadelphia._[4]
Virginia is known as the "Mother of Presidents." Eight U.S. presidents were born in Virginia: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, William Harrison, John Tyler, Zachary Taylor, and Woodrow Wilson._[4]
Founded in 1693, the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, is the second oldest in the United States._[4]

Virginia was named after the "Virgin" queen, Queen Elizabeth I

Virginia is named after England's "Virgin Queen," Elizabeth I._[4]
Famous people from Virginia include Pharrell Williams, Timbaland, George Washington, Sandra Bullock, Thomas Jefferson, Robert E. Lee, Chris Pratt, Patsy Cline, Shirley MacLaine, Pocahontas, and Booker T. Washington._[2]
The Virginia state flag shows two people dressed as warriors. The female warrior represents Virtus and holds a spear and sword. She is standing with one foot on top a fallen tyrant. Below them is the state motto, "Thus always to tyrants."_[4]
Famous Virginia inventions include the McCormick Harvesting Machine, camouflage, lip balm, and the swivel chair._[10]
Jamestown, Virginia was the first permanent English settlement in the New World. The original settlers were all men, and over 1/3 of them died the first year._[4]
The first peanuts in the United States were grown in Virginia._[3]
Virginia's nickname is the Old Dominion State because it was one of King Charles' II dominions._[3]
Virginia is home to the largest office building in the world, the Pentagon. The Pentagon has over 6.6 million square feet of floor space._[4]

The Pentagon was also the first de-segregated building in Virginia

Virginia has been the location of many important battles. The final American Revolution battle took place in Yorktown, VA, and over half of the Civil War battles took place in Virginia._[4]
Assateague Island is home to over 300 wild horses. It is believed that many years ago, a Spanish cargo ship wrecked and the horses swam to shore._[1]
The Virginia Assembly is the oldest continuous law-making body in the New World._[5]
One of Virginia's nicknames is the "Mother of the States" because pieces of Kentucky and other states were originally part of Virginia._[3]
The English called most of North America that wasn't controlled by the Spanish or the French "Virginia," after Queen Elizabeth, the "Virgin Queen."_[11]

Patrick Henry was Virginia's first governor and sixth governor

Patrick Henry proclaimed his famous line "Give me liberty, or give me death" at the Virginia Convention of 1775._[7]
Virginia is home to the first fraternity in the United States. The Phi Betta Kappa Society was established at the College of William and Mary in 1776._[6]
The slogan "Virginia is for lovers" originated in 1969 and has been called one of the most iconic ad campaigns in the United States._[3]
Virginia has the most Confederate memorials in the United States._[8]
Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, Virginia, developed the first test tube baby in the United States. A baby girl was born by Caesarian on December 28, 1981, after a successful IVF pregnancy._[9]