1. Texas officially became a state of the United States on August 6, 1846. This followed the signing of the Annexation Agreement by President James K. Polk and ratified by both the US Congress and the Texas Congress, which made Texas the 28th state of the union.

2. On August 6, 1870, the first recorded successful cattle drive from Texas to Kansas City took place. The drive was led by a cowboy named Charles Goodnight and involved over 1,000 head of cattle. This marked the beginning of the cattle drives era, which would continue to shape the economy and culture of Texas for many years to come.

3. On August 6, 1966, the University of Texas at Austin suffered a tragedy when a 25-year-old student, Charles Whitman, climbed to the top of the campus tower and started shooting at people. He killed 16 people and injured 31 others before being gunned down by police. The incident sparked a national conversation about gun control and mental health.

4. August 6, 2002 saw the execution of Napoleon Beazley in Huntsville, Texas. He was convicted of murder at the age of 17 and was controversially executed despite widespread calls for clemency due to his young age at the time of the crime.

5. On August 6, 2011, Texas governor Rick Perry kicked off his campaign for the Republican nomination for president in Charleston, South Carolina. Despite being a popular governor of Texas, his campaign ultimately failed to gain traction and he dropped out of the race in January 2012.