1. The Battle of Salem took place on April 19, 1863, during the Civil War. Union soldiers under the leadership of General William Rosecrans defeated Confederate troops and effectively secured control of northwestern Virginia.

2. On April 19, 1907, the West Virginia Legislature passed a law prohibiting the use of firearms or other deadly weapons in the state's coal mines. This was in response to the widespread violence that had erupted between mine operators and workers in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

3. In 1912, on April 19, the RMS Titanic, which famously sank after hitting an iceberg, was carrying coal from West Virginia. The Titanic's captain had decided to take on additional coal in the port of Southampton, England, before embarking on the ill-fated voyage.

4. The West Virginia State Police was established on April 19, 1919, as a way to combat rampant lawlessness in the state's coal mining regions. The force was originally staffed by 50 officers and quickly gained a reputation for being tough on crime.

5. On April 19, 1960, the first governor's office was opened in the recently completed West Virginia State Capitol building. Governor W. W. Barron had previously worked in a small office in the former Capitol building, which had become too small for the needs of the state government.