1. In 1835, the Texas Revolutionary Army was officially organized. The army, led by General Sam Houston, fought for Texas independence from Mexico.

2. On July 18, 1867, James Wyatt Heard became the first African American elected to public office in Texas. He served as a city councilman in Brenham, Texas.

3. In 1874, Howard Payne University was founded in Brownwood, Texas. The university was named after Dr. Howard Payne, a Christian minister who donated money to establish the school.

4. On July 18, 1969, Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin became the first humans to walk on the moon. The mission was launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, but the Lunar Module touched down in the Sea of Tranquility on the moon's surface.

5. In 1999, Texas executed its first female prisoner in over 135 years. Karla Faye Tucker was convicted of the brutal murders of two people during a robbery in 1983. Her execution was met with controversy and protests from anti-death penalty advocates.