1. In 1836, the Texans troops under General Sam Houston defeated the Mexican forces under General Santa Anna at the Battle of San Jacinto in what is now Harris County. This victory led to the independence of Texas from Mexico.

2. In 1934, the first drive-in movie theater in Texas opened in Austin. The theater, called the Coo-Kee Drive-In, could accommodate up to 400 cars and remained in operation until 1972.

3. In 1949, the Dallas Texans became the first professional football team in Texas when they joined the National Football League (NFL). The team was later renamed the Dallas Cowboys, which has become one of the most successful and popular sports franchises in the world.

4. In 1973, the Houston Rockets won their first and only NBA championship by defeating the New York Knicks in Game 7 of the NBA Finals. The team was led by Hall of Famers Moses Malone and Calvin Murphy.

5. In 2013, Wendy Davis, a Texas State Senator, gained national attention for her filibuster against a restrictive abortion bill. Davis spoke for over 11 hours, effectively killing the bill's passage. Her efforts brought attention to the issue of women's reproductive rights and inspired a generation of activists.