1. In 1845, Texas was officially admitted to the United States as the 28th state. This came after a decade of being an independent republic, and the addition of Texas to the Union sparked controversy and debate over the issue of slavery.

2. On December 19, 1876, the Texas State Constitution was amended to institute the current system of appointing judges to the state's highest courts. The amendment created the Texas Supreme Court and the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, and established six-year terms for each judge.

3. The infamous outlaw John Wesley Hardin was born on December 19, 1853, in Bonham, Texas. Hardin is said to have killed nearly 40 people in his lifetime, and was eventually captured and sentenced to 25 years in prison. He was killed in a shootout with a deputy while serving time in 1895.

4. In 1998, George W. Bush officially announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination for president. Bush had previously served as governor of Texas, and would go on to win the presidency in the 2000 election.

5. The Battleship Texas, which served in both World Wars, was commissioned on December 19, 1914. The ship saw action in several major engagements, including the D-Day landings at Normandy in 1944. Today, the Battleship Texas is a museum ship and popular tourist attraction in La Porte, Texas.