1. In 1864, Confederate General Jubal Early led his troops in the Battle of Cedar Creek in the Shenandoah Valley, which is partly located in present-day West Virginia. Although Early initially was successful, Union General Philip Sheridan rallied his troops and ultimately won the battle.
2. In 1911, the first aerial forest fire patrol was conducted in West Virginia. The state was one of the first in the nation to establish such a program, which used planes to detect and monitor wildfires from above.
3. On October 19, 1979, the West Virginia Mountaineers football team defeated the Texas Tech Red Raiders, 14-7, in what is widely regarded as one of the greatest upsets in college football history. At the time, Texas Tech was ranked 6th in the nation and had not lost a game all season.
4. In 2019, the Appalachian Regional Commission announced that it would be providing $44.4 million in funding to support economic development in West Virginia and other Appalachian states. The funding will be used for projects related to infrastructure, workforce development, and small businesses.
5. On October 19, 2020, West Virginia Governor Jim Justice announced that he had tested positive for COVID-19. The announcement came just days after the governor had attended a news conference with Vice President Mike Pence, during which neither wore a mask. Justice later made a full recovery from the virus.