1) On June 23, 1861, the Battle of Philippi took place in what is now West Virginia. It was the first land battle of the American Civil War and resulted in a Union victory.
2) In 1928, the New River Gorge Bridge, located in Fayette County, West Virginia, was officially opened to traffic on June 23. It was the longest steel single-span arch bridge in the world at the time.
3) West Virginia became a state on June 20, 1863, but it wasn't until June 23 of that year that Abraham Lincoln signed the proclamation officially admitting West Virginia into the Union.
4) On June 23, 1972, the state of West Virginia celebrated its centennial with a parade and other festivities in Charleston, the state capital.
5) In 2006, on June 23, the National Park Service designated the New River Gorge as a national park, making it the 57th national park in the United States.