1. In 1865, Confederate General John Echols surrendered his troops at Lewisburg, effectively ending the Civil War in West Virginia. Echols had been leading a guerrilla campaign against Union forces but was unable to maintain his position in the face of increasing pressure from the federal army.

2. On April 2, 1909, the first commercial coal-fired power plant in West Virginia began operations in Morgantown. The plant was owned and operated by the West Virginia Electric Company and provided electricity to the city and surrounding areas.

3. In 1953, the West Virginia Legislature passed the state's first sales tax. The tax was levied at a rate of 2% on all retail sales, with the revenue going toward funding education and other state programs.

4. On April 2, 1998, the West Virginia Mountaineers men's basketball team made its first appearance in the NCAA Final Four. The team, led by All-American guard Jerry West, lost to the University of California, Los Angeles in the semifinals.

5. In 2014, the West Virginia Legislature passed a bill legalizing the use of medical cannabis. The law allows patients with qualifying conditions to obtain a medical marijuana card and access to cannabis products for treatment. The law went into effect in 2017, making West Virginia the 29th state to legalize medical marijuana.