1. In 1912, the West Virginia Legislature passed a law enabling women to serve as jurors in the state's courts. This made West Virginia the ninth state in the US to grant women the right to serve on juries.

2. On January 12, 1804, the Virginia General Assembly approved the formation of Greenbrier County, which is now located in West Virginia. The county was named after the Greenbrier River, which runs through the area.

3. In 1944, the Battle of Cassino began during World War II. This battle, which lasted until May of that year, involved Allied forces attempting to capture the town of Cassino in Italy. Many West Virginia soldiers fought in this battle, which was one of the deadliest of the war.

4. In 1914, the West Virginia State Board of Education established the West Virginia University Extension Service. This service offers educational programs to residents of the state, and is still in operation today.

5. On January 12, 1937, a gas explosion occurred in the Consolidation Coal Company's No. 9 mine in Farmington, West Virginia. The disaster killed 72 miners and sparked changes in mine safety regulations nationwide.