1. West Virginia became a state on July 1, 1863, making it the only state to have been admitted to the Union during the Civil War. The decision to become a separate state was a result of disagreement over the issue of slavery between western Virginia and the rest of the state.

2. On July 1, 1921, the first radio station in West Virginia, WSAZ, began broadcasting from Huntington. It was one of the first commercial radio stations in the country.

3. On July 1, 1957, the first toll road in West Virginia, the West Virginia Turnpike, opened to traffic. It runs for 88 miles from Charleston to Princeton and is still in use today.

4. July 1 is also a significant date in the history of the West Virginia coal mining industry. On that day in 1947, a mine explosion in Monongah killed 31 miners. It was one of the worst mining disasters in U.S. history and led to significant changes in mining regulations.

5. In 1974, on July 1, the Davis & Elkins College Augusta Heritage Center was founded in Elkins. The center is dedicated to preserving and promoting traditional music, dance, and crafts in the Appalachian region, and is still active today.