1. In 1898, the Houston and Texas Central Railroad completed construction on a massive new depot in the city of Dallas on November 8th. The depot was one of the largest in the state and provided rail service to hundreds of thousands of passengers and freight customers for over 80 years.

2. On November 8, 1904, a devastating fire broke out in the city of Corsicana that destroyed much of the downtown business district. The fire was caused by a faulty boiler in a local meat packing plant and it quickly spread to nearby buildings, resulting in millions of dollars in damages and several deaths.

3. In 1938, legendary composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein visited the University of Texas at Austin to conduct concerts with the Austin Symphony Orchestra. The performances took place on November 8th and were widely celebrated by local music enthusiasts and students.

4. On November 8, 1966, the University of Texas at Austin announced plans to build a new library complex that would eventually become the world-renowned Perry-Castañeda Library. The library, which opened in 1977, is one of the largest and most heavily used academic libraries in the United States.

5. In 1994, Texas voters approved a referendum that granted state recognition to the historic Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas. This decision allowed the tribe to open a casino on their land in East Texas, which has since become a popular tourist destination and economic driver for the region. The referendum was approved on November 8th of that year.