1. In 1839, the Congress of the Republic of Texas established Rutersville College. It was the first institution of higher education founded in the Republic of Texas.

2. On August 4, 1875, Ellen Lawson Dabbs was born in Ranger, Texas. Dabbs was an influential suffragette and civil rights activist who fought for the advancement of women and African Americans in Texas.

3. The West Texas town of Seminole was incorporated on August 4, 1924. Today, Seminole is known for its agricultural products, such as cotton and peanuts.

4. On August 4, 1949, the Texas Historical Survey Committee placed a marker at San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site. The marker commemorates the Battle of San Jacinto, which took place on April 21, 1836 and secured Texas' independence from Mexico.

5. In 1978, the Moody Foundation awarded a $5 million grant to the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. The grant supported the construction of the Moody Medical Library, which is named after the foundation's founder, W.L. Moody Jr.