January dates in Virginia history January 1, 1776 Four British
warships fire on Norfolk, and British soldiers row ashore and
begin burning warehouses and waterfront buildings. Patriots,
seeing Norfolk as a "nest of Tories," engage in similar
behavior, setting fire to most of the city and participating in
widespread looting. January 5, 1781 General Benedict Arnold,
having traveled up the James River from Hampton Roads, leads
1,200 British troops on a raid of Richmond. Many public and
private buildings and tobacco warehouses are burned during the
two-day campaign. January 6, 1759 George Washington marries
Martha Dandridge Custis at White House, her New Kent home.
January 10, 1769 Mail boats begin leaving the Suffolk area on
regular monthly trips north and south along the Atlantic Coast.
The location is midway between colonial postal centers in New
York City and Charleston, January 13, 1990 L. Douglas Wilder is
inaugurated as the first elected African American governor in
the United States. January 15, 1943 The