1. On December 4, 1862, the Battle of Bean's Station took place in Grainger County, Tennessee, which had significant importance for West Virginia troops. Several regiments from the newly-formed state of West Virginia fought in the battle, which was a decisive Union victory.

2. On December 4, 1909, the first West Virginia Boys' State Basketball Tournament was held in Buckhannon. The tournament featured eight teams from West Virginia high schools and has since become an annual event.

3. The first World War II casualty from West Virginia was Private James E. Rader, who was killed in action on December 4, 1941, while serving with the United States Army in the Philippines.

4. On December 4, 1964, West Virginia Governor William Wallace Barron dedicated the new West Virginia State Capitol building in Charleston. The building took over four years to construct and features a gold dome that rises 293 feet above the city.

5. December 4, 1985, marked the end of a two-year strike by coal miners at the Pittston Coal Company in Virginia and West Virginia. The strike was significant for its length and the number of workers involved, and it helped to shape labor relations in the region for years to come.