1. American civil rights activist Crystal Lee Sutton was born on April 24, 1940, in Roanoke, Virginia. Sutton's story inspired the book and film "Norma Rae," which chronicles her efforts to organize labor unions in cotton mills in North Carolina.

2. On April 24, 1809, the Virginia General Assembly created the new state of West Virginia from portions of Virginia that were unwilling to secede during the Civil War. West Virginia became the 35th state in the United States on June 20, 1863, following the approval of its constitution by President Lincoln.

3. On this day in 1959, the state of Virginia's Civil War-era poll tax was declared unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court. The poll tax, which had been in effect since 1902, required voters to pay a fee to cast their ballots and was widely used to disenfranchise African American voters and poor whites.

4. West Virginia University was established on April 24, 1867. The university has since grown to become a major research institution in the state and is home to more than 29,000 students.

5. On April 24, 1898, the Spanish-American War began, with West Virginia native William McKinley serving as President at the time. Many West Virginians volunteered for service in the war, and the state played a significant role in supporting the troops through various patriotic efforts.