1. In 1830, Mexican authorities arrested Stephen F. Austin, founder of Texas, and held him for a year in Mexico City for inciting rebellion among Anglo-American settlers in Texas.

2. On April 6, 1836, during the Texas Revolution, General Sam Houston led Texian forces in a surprise attack against Santa Anna's army at the Battle of San Jacinto. The 18-minute battle resulted in a decisive victory for the Texians, securing Texas independence from Mexico.

3. In 1954, Cliff Hillegass founded the company that became CliffsNotes, a study aid for literary works. Hillegass, a Texas State University graduate, initially sold the notes from his basement in Lincoln, Nebraska.

4. On April 6, 1968, civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. His death sparked riots across the country, including in Houston, where one person was killed and over 170 were arrested.

5. In 2010, the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, causing the largest oil spill in US history. The spill continued for 87 days and had devastating effects on wildlife and the environment. Multiple Texas beaches were impacted by the spill, including those in Galveston and Corpus Christi.