June 20th, 2008

West Virginia celebrates its 145th birthday – June 20th


West Virginia entered the Union on this day in 1863 as the 35th state and today we celebrate its 145th birthday. Every year in West Virginia, June 20 is officially celebrated as “West Virginia Day” in the state. West Virginia is the only state that was born out of the Civil War and the only one formed by presidential proclamation. Until secession in 1861, West Virginia constituted the western section of Virginia. After the secession in 1861 June 20 was informally celebrated across the state for six decades until the West Virginia legislature gave the holiday formal recognition in 1927.

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