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n March 1, 59 delegates held the Convention of 1836 at Washington-on-the-Brazos. There, they drafted the Texas Declaration of Independence and adopted it on March 2. -
The flag you know today as the official State flag of Texas was adopted in January of 1839 as the official flag of the Republic of Texas. -
Almost ten years after winning independence from Mexico, and after a long and controversial diplomatic struggle, Texas was annexed to the United States under the administration of President James Polk. -
As the United States grew, so did the need for a more reliable transportation system. Travel was difficult in antebellum Texas, worsened by the expansive and unforgiving terrain in the west. Businesses also needed a way to ship their goods through the expanding area. This prompted the construction of the first railroad in Texas, which opened in 1853. Known as the "Harrisburg Railroad," the Buffalo Bayou, Brazos, and Colorado Railway ran about 20 miles from Harrisburg to Stafford's Point. -
Governor Houston was evicted from office when he refused to take an oath to the Confederacy. Houston was replaced by Lieutenant Governor Edward Clark. This would mark the beginning of a long, bloody battle between the North and South. The Union would prove victorious four years later. -
In the late 1870s, Texas officials decided that the original capitol building, built in 1853, was too small and understated for the post-Reconstruction grandeur of Texas. Plans for a new capitol were in the works when the old building burned down in 1881. Ground broke in 1882 and construction was complete in 1888. The opening ceremony took place in May 1888, but the building didn't reach completion until late November of that year with the placement of the Goddess of Liberty atop the dome. -
Miriam "Ma" Ferguson was the first woman governor of Texas, serving two terms (1924-1926, and 1932-1934). She ran on a platform condemning the Ku Klux Klan, proposing spending cuts, and opposing Prohibition. Her husband, James E. "Pa" Ferguson, had served as governor from 1915 until he was impeached and removed from office in 1917, preventing him from seeking high office again in his own right. -
Texans celebrated the 100th anniversary of Texas independence with statewide festivities. The United States issued commemorative three-cent stamps and half-dollars to observe the anniversary. The Centennial Exposition was held in Dallas on the state fairgrounds, and opened on June 6, 1936. It ran until late November of that year. Over 6 million people attended. -
Following the Supreme Court decision to end segregation in profession schools, the ruling of Brown v. Board of Education further extended those rights to all schools in the United States. Students of all races were allowed to attend the same schools. San Antonio was among the first cities in the U.S. to comply with the order. -
En route from the airport, Kennedy rode in an open car motorcade through downtown Dallas, along with his wife Jacqueline, Texas Governor John Connally and Texas First Lady Nellie Connally,. As they entered Dealey Plaza on Elm Street, shots rang out. Both Kennedy and Connally were struck. They were rushed to Parkland Hospital where President Kennedy was pronounced dead shortly after. Kennedy’s body was transported back to Washington D.C. aboard Air Force One. -
In 1966, Bush was elected to Congress from Texas's 7th district in Harris County. From there he moved on to serve as ambassador to the United Nations, director of the Central Intelligence Agency, and vice-president of the United States under Ronald Reagan. Bush was elected to the presidency in 1988. -
In 2000, Bush was elected president of the United States, and reelected in 2004. The George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum opened on April 25, 2013, on the Southern Methodist University campus in Dallas.