1. On December 13, 1835, Texan revolutionary forces under the command of James Bowie and William Barret Travis defeated Mexican troops at the Battle of Concepción, one of the earliest engagements in the Texas War of Independence.

2. December 13, 1917, saw the deadliest train accident in U.S. history occur in the town of Nashville, Texas. Over 50 people were killed and dozens more injured when two trains collided head-on, sparking a massive explosion.

3. Texan country music legend Buck Owens was born on December 13, 1929, in Sherman, Texas. Owens went on to become one of the most popular and influential country singers of the 20th century, with hits like "Together Again" and "Act Naturally."

4. December 13, 1967, saw the worst single-plane disaster in U.S. history occur in Texas, when a Pacific Southwest Airlines flight crashed into a hillside near San Diego, killing all 144 people onboard.

5. On December 13, 2003, the Texas Longhorns football team upset the highly ranked Kansas State Wildcats in the Big 12 Championship Game, earning the Longhorns a berth in the Rose Bowl and solidifying their status as one of the top college football programs in the country.