1. On December 10, 1861, Union forces successfully captured the town of Romney during the American Civil War. Romney was considered strategically important because it lay at the intersection of several major transportation routes.

2. December 10, 1930, marked the birth of actress and singer Dorothy McGuire in Omaha, Nebraska. Although she was not originally from West Virginia, McGuire's family eventually moved to Parkersburg, where she attended high school.

3. On December 10, 1940, the West Virginia State Board of Education decided to require that all students in the state salute the American flag and recite the Pledge of Allegiance at the start of each school day. This decision sparked controversy and protests from Jehovah's Witnesses, who objected to the flag salute on religious grounds.

4. December 10, 2009, was the day that West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin announced his appointment of Carte Goodwin to fill the U.S. Senate seat left vacant by the death of Robert Byrd. Goodwin served as a senator for only six months, but his appointment was notable because he was the youngest person to ever hold the office of U.S. senator from West Virginia.

5. Finally, on December 10, 2019, the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals issued a ruling in support of a Charleston church that was facing a lawsuit from its neighbors over loud music and noise pollution. The court determined that the church's use of outdoor amplifiers did not violate the city's noise ordinance, and that the plaintiffs had failed to prove that they were being harmed by the church's activities.