Enough with all the hooplah. Virginia houses the most cultured, diverse & tolerant people to walk the western hemisphere.
Historic Facts
- Virginia was named for England's "Virgin Queen," Elizabeth I.
- Jamestown, the first of the original 13 Colonies was founded for the purpose of silk cultivation. Silk to be traded with the Court of King James. After blight fungus destroyed the mulberry trees (silkworm food), sericulturist planted tobacco as a cash crop.
- Jamestown was the first English settlement in the U.S. It was also the first capital of Virginia.
- Virginia is known as "the birthplace of a nation".
- Eight United States Presidents were born in Virginia: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, William Harrison, John Tyler, Zachary Taylor, and Woodrow Wilson.
- Seven Presidents are buried in Virginia: Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, Tyler, Taft and Kennedy.
- The present state capital in Richmond was also the capital of the Confederacy.
- The College of William and Mary in Williamsburg is the second oldest in the United States, it was founded in 1693.
- The first peanuts grown in the United States were grown in Virginia.
- Virginia is the home base for the United States Navy's Atlantic Fleet.
- The Pentagon building in Arlington is the largest office building in the world.
- The first Thanksgiving in North America was held in Virginia in 1619.
- Yorktown is the site of the final victory of the American Revolution.
- Virginia has been dubbed the "Internet Capital of the world".
- The Atlantic headquarters of NATO is located in Norfolk.
- The Great Dismal Swamp is in Virginia near the North Carolina border.
- The Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel is the world's largest bridge-tunnel complex.
- President Thomas Jefferson designed his own home and called it Monticello.
- George Washington's home, Mount Vernon, is located in Virginia.
- Patrick Henry made his "Give me Liberty or Give me Death" speech in St. John's Church in Richmond.
Notable Figures
CHRIS BROWN 24
Born Christopher Maurice Brown, his debut self-titled album went double platinum, and its single "Run It!" hit #1 on the U.S. charts in 2004.
TREY SONGZ 29
Born Tremaine ldon Neversonis, his debut album I Gotta Make It reached #20 on the Billboard 200 chart in 2005.
GABBY DOUGLAS 17
Gymnast who became the first African American woman to win the gymnastics all-around gold medal and the team competitions in 2012.
SANDRA BULLOCK 49
She achieved fame as Annie Porter in the thriller, Speed, and won critical acclaim for her role in the 2004 film, Crash.
JENNIFER STONE 20
Wizards of Waverly Place star who played Abby Hanover in the 2011 film, Mean Girls 2, and was nominated for a Young Artist Award for House, M.D.
MISSY ELLIOTT 42
Grammy Award-winning rapper of Get Ur Freak On who became the first female rapper to release 6 platinum albums after the 2002 release of This is Not a Test!
PHARRELL WILLIAMS 40
Rapper and music producer who is one half of the record production duo The Neptunes and the lead vocalist of the hip hop band N.E.R.D.
ALLEN IVERSON 38
Former Georgetown star and later a 76ers guard that was MVP in 2000-2001, and made the NBA finals, but lost in five games to the Lakers.
MICHAEL VICK 33
Highlight-reel NFL quarterback who was the #1 overall pick in the 2001 draft by the Atlanta Falcons, joined the Philadelphia Eagles in 2009.
ELLA FITZGERALD (1917-1996)
The Queen of Jazz, she won 13 Grammy Awards and became a legend for singing "Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall" and "I'm Making Believe."
JASON MRAZ 36
Quirky singer who wrote "The Remedy (I Won't Worry)" and released the #3 album, We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. which contained "I'm Yours," in 2008.
ARIEL WINTER 15
Actor who has played the role of quick-witted Alex Dunphy on ABC's hit comedy, Modern Family.
ROB LOWE 49
Part of Hollywood's brat pack in St. Elmo's Fire 1985 who more recently starred in the series, Parks and Recreation.
ZAC HANSON 28
Singer-drummer with brothers Isaac and Taylor Hanson in the group Hanson.
ALL HAIL THE GREATEST STATE OF THE FREE WORLD!
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