1. Texas officially became a state of the United States on September 22, 1845. This date marks an important milestone for Texas, as it had been an independent nation for nearly a decade before joining the Union.

2. On September 22, 1900, the deadliest natural disaster in U.S. history struck the city of Galveston, Texas. A hurricane with winds up to 145 miles per hour devastated the island, killing an estimated 8,000 people and causing over $30 million in damages.

3. On September 22, 1961, the first episode of the popular Western television series "The Virginian" aired on NBC. The show, which ran for nine seasons, was partially set in the fictional town of Medicine Bow, Wyoming, but was mainly filmed in California and Texas.

4. In 1986, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department officially designated the Red Drum fish as the state fish of Texas on September 22. This game fish, also known as the redfish, is found in the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico and is an important species for commercial and recreational fishing.

5. On September 22, 2001, the Texas Rangers defeated the Seattle Mariners in a historic baseball game that saw Alex Rodriguez become only the third player in Major League history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a single season. The Rangers won the game 10-2 in front of a home crowd at The Ballpark at Arlington.