1. In 1835, the Texian army, led by Stephen F. Austin, began their siege on San Antonio de Bexar, which would ultimately lead to the defeat of the Mexican army and the capture of the city.

2. In 1865, the first cattle drive from Texas to Kansas began, paving the way for the famous cattle drives of the late 19th century and the establishment of the cowboy culture.

3. In 1901, the first commercial oil well in Texas, the Spindletop, was discovered near Beaumont, leading to the famous oil boom that transformed the state's economy.

4. In 1949, the Texas School Book Depository building in Dallas was dedicated, which would later become infamous as the location of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963.

5. In 1973, the University of Texas at Austin became the first major university in the United States to have a Mexican American Studies program, which has since become a model for other universities across the country.