1. September 10, 1861: West Virginia is Admitted as the 35th State
On September 10, 1861, West Virginia was admitted as the 35th state in the Union during the American Civil War. West Virginia was formed as a result of the Unionist secession from Virginia in 1861.

2. September 10, 1935: The Birth of the New River Gorge Bridge
On September 10, 1935, construction began on the New River Gorge Bridge in West Virginia. The bridge is a steel arch bridge that spans the New River Gorge near Fayetteville, West Virginia. It was completed in 1977 and is one of the tallest vehicular bridges in the world.

3. September 10, 1972: The Buffalo Creek Disaster Occurs
On September 10, 1972, a coal waste dam collapsed near the town of Logan, West Virginia, causing a massive flood that killed 125 people and left over 4,000 people homeless. The disaster is known as the Buffalo Creek Disaster and is still considered one of the most devastating mining disasters in U.S. history.

4. September 10, 1973: West Virginia Hosts Its First Nobel Prize Winner
On September 10, 1973, West Virginia hosted its first Nobel Prize winner; Dr. Hans Bethe, a physicist who won the Nobel Prize in 1967 for his work on energy production in stars. He visited West Virginia University in Morgantown to lecture on nuclear reactions.

5. September 10, 2014: The Elk River Chemical Spill
On September 10, 2014, a chemical spill occurred in the Elk River near Charleston, West Virginia. The spill was caused by a leak in a storage tank at a chemical plant. The spill contaminated the drinking water for over 300,000 people, causing a state of emergency and water-use ban.