1. On December 18, 1837, the Texas Congress passed an act establishing Lamar County, named after the second president of the Republic of Texas, Mirabeau B. Lamar. The county seat is Paris and is home to a number of historic sites and landmarks.

2. In 1875, the first-ever ice manufacturing plant was established in Galveston, Texas, on December 18. The plant was owned by E.D. Perley and was designed to produce ice in large quantities to meet the growing demand for refrigeration in the city.

3. December 18, 1941, marks the day when the United States declared war on Germany during World War II. Texas played a significant role in the war effort, with many Texans serving in the military and the state hosting numerous military bases and training camps.

4. Texas-born country music legend, Ray Price, passed away on December 18, 2013, at the age of 87. Price had a career spanning over six decades and collaborated with numerous other country music icons such as Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard.

5. On December 18, 2015, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals granted a stay of execution for Rodney Reed, who had been sentenced to death for the murder of Stacey Stites in 1996. His case had garnered international attention and became the subject of the documentary "State vs. Reed." Reed's case is still ongoing.