1. In 1977, the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley, passed away at his home in Memphis, Tennessee. However, Texas played a significant role in contributing to his musical legacy. In 1954, Elvis recorded his very first commercial single, "That's All Right," at Sun Records in Memphis. The track was written by Texas bluesman Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup.

2. On August 16, 1927, Texas-born criminal Hiram Wesley Evans was elected as the Imperial Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK). The KKK was a white supremacist hate group that advocated for segregation, anti-Semitism, and violence against minorities. Evans was born in 1881 in Arlington, Texas, and became a prominent KKK leader in the 1920s.

3. On this day in 2004, President George W. Bush signed a $417 billion defense spending bill that included a provision to protect gun manufacturers and dealers from liability lawsuits. The legislation was passed by Congress in response to a flurry of lawsuits that sought to hold gun companies accountable for shootings and other gun-related violence.

4. In 1836, the Texas revolutionaries under the command of Sam Houston defeated the Mexican army led by General Antonio López de Santa Anna at the Battle of San Jacinto. This decisive victory secured Texas' independence from Mexico and led to the establishment of the Republic of Texas. April 21, the date of the battle, is celebrated as San Jacinto Day in Texas, but August 16 is also a significant day in the history of Texas independence.

5. On August 16, 1887, the National Farmers' Alliance and Industrial Union was formed in Texas. This organization was part of a larger populist movement that emerged in the late 19th century in response to economic hardship and the perceived dominance of big business and corrupt politicians. The Farmers' Alliance advocated for agrarian interests and fair treatment of farmers and laborers.