1. In 1863, the Battle of Middle Creek occurred in eastern Kentucky, near the West Virginia border. The battle was a Union victory and helped secure the state of Kentucky for the Union during the Civil War.

2. On February 10, 1881, the first public library in the state of West Virginia was opened in the town of Parkersburg. The library still operates to this day and is known as the Parkersburg and Wood County Public Library.

3. In 1933, the state of West Virginia began construction on the Hawks Nest Tunnel, a project to divert water from the New River to a hydroelectric power plant. The project led to the deaths of hundreds of African American workers due to silicosis, a lung disease caused by exposure to silica dust.

4. On February 10, 1968, the Silver Bridge, which spanned the Ohio River between Point Pleasant, West Virginia and Gallipolis, Ohio, collapsed during rush hour traffic, killing 46 people. The disaster led to increased regulation and inspection of bridges across the United States.

5. In 1983, the West Virginia State Police Academy was established in Institute, West Virginia. The academy provides training for state troopers and other law enforcement officers, and has graduated thousands of officers since its founding.