1. On February 8, 1863, the Battle of Middle Creek took place in Floyd County, Virginia, which is now part of West Virginia. This Civil War battle was fought between Confederate and Union forces, with the Union ultimately emerging victorious.

2. February 8, 1915, marks the day that the first West Virginia state flag was adopted. The design features the state coat of arms on a white field, surrounded by a wreath of rhododendrons, the state flower.

3. In 1963, on February 8, West Virginia senator Robert Byrd embarked on a 14-hour filibuster against the Civil Rights Act of 1964. His speech, which included a recitation of Shakespearean sonnets and criticism of the bill's alleged infringement on states' rights, became one of the longest filibusters in Senate history.

4. On February 8, 1978, the FDA approved the use of an experimental cancer drug developed at West Virginia University. The drug, Adriamycin, went on to become a widely-used chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer, leukemia, and other types of cancer.

5. February 8, 2007, saw the opening of the New River Gorge Bridge in Fayetteville, West Virginia. At 876 feet tall and 3,030 feet long, it is one of the tallest and longest single-span arch bridges in the world. The bridge has become a popular destination for bungee jumping and other extreme sports.