1. In 1862, the Battle of Kernstown took place in Winchester, Virginia, just a few miles from the West Virginia border. This battle saw Confederate General "Stonewall" Jackson launch a surprise attack against Union forces, resulting in a Confederate victory.

2. On March 12, 1901, West Virginia became the first state in the country to have a female prison warden. Mary E. Alderson was appointed as warden of the West Virginia State Penitentiary, a position she held for several years.

3. In 1933, the West Virginia Supreme Court ruled in favor of striking miners in the case of State ex rel. Workers Union v. Lilly. This decision allowed the miners to unionize and marked a significant victory for the labor movement in the state.

4. On March 12, 1953, the town of Weirton, West Virginia was incorporated. The town was founded in 1909 by steel magnate Ernest T. Weir and was originally named Weirton Heights.

5. In 1980, the West Virginia Legislature passed the Land Reclamation Act, which aimed to address the environmental impact of coal mining in the state. The act required mining companies to reclaim and restore land that had been damaged by mining activities.