1. On September 7, 1838, the city of Houston, Texas was incorporated, becoming the fourth-largest city in the United States. The city was named after Sam Houston, a Texas hero and important figure in the fight for independence from Mexico.

2. On September 7, 1901, the Spindletop oilfield near Beaumont, Texas hit oil, producing a gusher that eventually led to Texas becoming a major oil-producing state. The discovery of oil at Spindletop marked the beginning of the Texas oil boom that lasted for several decades.

3. On September 7, 1963, President John F. Kennedy visited Houston to dedicate the new Manned Spacecraft Center, later renamed the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center. This event marked the beginning of the "space race" between the United States and the Soviet Union, and Houston became known as the "Space City."

4. On September 7, 1979, a fire broke out on the drilling platform Sedco 135F in the Gulf of Mexico, about 200 miles south of Galveston, Texas. The fire lasted 20 hours and led to the deaths of 13 workers. It was one of the worst offshore drilling disasters in U.S. history.

5. On September 7, 2008, Hurricane Ike made landfall on the Texas Gulf Coast, causing widespread damage and power outages. The storm affected several major cities, including Houston and Galveston, and caused billions of dollars in damage. Ike was one of the costliest hurricanes in U.S. history.