1. On October 24, 1861, Confederate troops under General William Loring were forced to retreat from their positions on Cheat Mountain, marking a significant Union victory in the early days of the American Civil War. The battle was fought near present-day Elkins, West Virginia.

2. West Virginia University was founded on October 24, 1867, as the Agricultural College of West Virginia. The institution would go through several name changes before becoming WVU in 1927.

3. On October 24, 1935, the first highway tunnel in West Virginia opened to traffic. The Blennerhassett Island Tunnel, located on Route 50 near Parkersburg, allowed travelers to avoid the winding and steep terrain of the surrounding hills.

4. The United Mine Workers of America went on strike in southern West Virginia on October 24, 1949, demanding better working conditions and higher wages. The strike lasted for several months and resulted in violence and arrests on both sides.

5. On October 24, 2002, NASCAR driver Rusty Wallace set a new track record at Martinsville Speedway in Virginia, with a lap time of 19.898 seconds. Wallace, who was born in Arnold, Missouri, has won multiple races in his career at the nearby Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee.