1. In 1836, the Consultation of Texas met in Washington-on-the-Brazos to begin drafting a constitution for an independent Texas. This was a significant step towards the eventual Texas Declaration of Independence and formation of the Republic of Texas later that year.

2. On January 17, 1901, the Spindletop oil well erupted, marking the beginning of the Texas oil boom. The gusher produced more than 100,000 barrels of oil per day at its peak, and Texas soon became the leading oil-producing state in the country.

3. The San Antonio Spurs basketball team played their first game on January 17, 1974. The team has since won five NBA championships and become one of the most successful franchises in the league.

4. In 1991, the Texas Agriculture Commissioner Jim Hightower was chosen to lead the Democratic National Committee. Hightower was the first Texan to hold the position since Lyndon B. Johnson in 1968.

5. On January 17, 2000, George W. Bush was sworn in as the 43rd President of the United States. Bush, a former governor of Texas, was the second president from the state following LBJ.