1. On January 3, 1837, the Texas Congress selected Houston as the capital of the Republic of Texas. The city was named after Sam Houston, who served as the first and third president of Texas.

2. January 3, 1871, marked the first telegraph transmission in Texas. The message was sent from San Antonio to Houston and helped revolutionize communication and commerce in the state.

3. The Texas State Historical Association was founded on January 3, 1897, by a group of historians and educators to promote the preservation and study of Texas history. Today, the organization continues to publish scholarly works and maintain an online database of Texas history.

4. On this day in 1938, the tallest structure in Texas at the time, the Magnolia Petroleum Building, was dedicated in Dallas. Standing at 521 feet tall, the building was a symbol of the state's growing economy and the rise of the oil industry.

5. In 1998, the first-ever National Hockey League game was played in Texas on January 3 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas. The Dallas Stars hosted the Phoenix Coyotes, and the game ended in a 3-3 tie. Today, Texas boasts three NHL teams and a growing hockey community.