1. In 1907, West Virginia became the 35th state to adopt a woman suffrage amendment to its constitution, granting women the right to vote in state elections. This marked a significant milestone in the fight for women's rights in the United States.

2. On December 17, 1953, the famous Wild Man of the Greenbrier was captured in Greenbrier County, West Virginia. The wild man, also known as Raymond Robinson, was believed to live in the woods and subsist off the land. He gained widespread notoriety in the late 1940s and early 1950s as sightings of him became more frequent. After he was caught, Robinson was taken to a hospital and it was discovered he was severely mentally disabled and had been living in poverty.

3. In 1972, the Conowingo Dam on the Susquehanna River in Maryland was the site of a tragedy that killed 16 men, including several from West Virginia. The disaster occurred when a turbine failed during construction, causing a massive explosion that sent shrapnel flying and caused a fire that spread quickly through the area. It remains one of the worst industrial accidents in the history of the United States.

4. December 17, 1989, marked the opening of the Lowering of the Harpers Ferry Bridge, which connected West Virginia and Maryland over the Potomac River. The new bridge replaced an older bridge that had been in use since the early 1900s and had become unsafe due to its age and deteriorating condition. The new bridge was hailed as a major achievement and an important step forward for transportation in the region.

5. In 2010, the Upper Big Branch Mine disaster occurred in Montcoal, West Virginia, killing 29 workers. The disaster was caused by an explosion in the mine, which was owned and operated by Massey Energy. The tragedy focused attention on the need for better safety regulations in the mining industry and led to a number of reforms aimed at preventing similar incidents in the future.