1. On August 12, 1817, the first steamboat to navigate the Kanawha River arrived at Charleston, West Virginia. The boat, named "The Enterprise", traveled from Pittsburgh carrying passengers and cargo.

2. West Virginia became the 35th state on August 12, 1863, during the Civil War. It was created when the northwestern counties of Virginia voted to secede from the Confederate state of Virginia and join the Union.

3. On August 12, 1898, the first football game was played at West Virginia University's newly constructed Mountaineer Field. The WVU team defeated the Pittsburgh Athletic Club 10 to 0.

4. The town of Matewan, West Virginia, was the site of a major labor conflict known as the Matewan Massacre on August 12, 1920. The conflict was between striking coal miners and hired detectives, resulting in several deaths on both sides.

5. On August 12, 1985, the world's largest waterfall display was unveiled at the West Virginia State Capitol Complex in Charleston. The display features a 25-foot waterfall, several pools, and more than 400 plants.