1. The deadliest mining disaster in U.S. history occurred on March 11, 1909, in Monongah, West Virginia, where 362 men and boys died in an explosion. The tragedy led to reforms in mine safety and the establishment of the U.S. Bureau of Mines.

2. On March 11, 1856, African American abolitionist John Henry Kagi was killed in a raid on the armory at Harpers Ferry, Virginia (now West Virginia) led by John Brown. Kagi's death was one of the sparks that ignited the violence that led to the Civil War.

3. The West Virginia Legislature passed a bill on March 11, 1968, designating the Golden Delicious apple as the state fruit. The apple was first discovered by Anderson Mullins in Clay County, West Virginia, in the early 1900s.

4. On March 11, 1864, Union General Philip Sheridan's cavalry burned the town of Salem (now in West Virginia) as part of their campaign against Confederate General Jubal Early's forces in the Shenandoah Valley. The destruction of civilian property sparked controversy and criticism.

5. March 11 is celebrated as "West Virginia Day" in Japan, thanks to a friendship agreement signed between the state and the Japanese prefecture of Niigata on that date in 1990. The agreement has led to cultural exchanges and business partnerships between the two regions.