The 1st Rhode Island Regiment broke barriers in the Revolutionary War as the first predominantly Black unit in the Continental Army.

Grace Hopper, pioneer of computer science, lived in Virginia later in life and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

In 1784, Virginia native James Hemings traveled to Paris with Thomas Jefferson, becoming the first American trained in French cuisine.

As America’s first federal public works project, the Old Cape Henry Lighthouse guided ships through one of Virginia’s key trade gateways.