1. In 1863, West Virginia became the 35th state to join the Union. It was formed during the Civil War as a result of the western counties of Virginia that did not secede from the Union.

2. On November 6, 1900, the first issue of the Charleston Gazette was published. Today, it is the state's largest daily newspaper and has won numerous Pulitzer Prizes.

3. Train enthusiasts will be interested to know that on November 6, 1968, construction began on the New River Gorge Bridge, which is the longest steel arch bridge in the Western Hemisphere. It took three years to build and was completed in 1977.

4. On November 6, 1985, West Virginia's first ski resort opened in Pocahontas County. Called Snowshoe Mountain, it has since become one of the premier ski destinations in the eastern United States.

5. West Virginia is known as the Mountain State, and on November 6, 1999, Timberline Four Seasons Resort set the record for the earliest ski resort opening in state history. The resort is located in Davis and has been in operation since 1986.