1. In 1833, the Mexican Congress passed the Act of Abolition, which abolished slavery in Texas.

2. In 1886, the first Texas State Fair opened in Dallas. Over the years, it has become one of the largest and most popular fairs in the United States.

3. In 1951, the first live television broadcast of a football game in Texas was aired. The game featured the Texas Longhorns against the Texas Tech Red Raiders and was broadcast by KPRC-TV in Houston.

4. In 1981, Hurricane Allen made landfall in south Texas, causing extensive damage and flooding. The storm was one of the most powerful hurricanes to ever hit the United States and resulted in over $1 billion in damage.

5. In 2007, Texas Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison announced that she would not run for re-election in 2008. Hutchison had served in the Senate for nearly 15 years and had become one of the most influential politicians in Texas. Her retirement set off a fierce fight for her Senate seat and marked the end of an era in Texas politics.