(1519) Alonso Alvarez de Pineda, a Spanish explorer, mapped the Texas coastline
(1528) Alvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca and crew were shipwrecked near Galveston and began exploration
1600's
(1682) The first Spanish mission, Corpus Christi de la Isleta, established near present-day El Paso
(1685) The French explorer Rene-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, landed in Texas by mistake while searching for the mouth of the Mississippi River. He established the colony, Fort St. Louis, in present-day Victoria County
(1687) La Salle killed by his own men
(1688) Colonists killed by the Karankawa Indians
1700's
(1718) The San Antonio de Valero mission, (the Alamo) founded in San Antonio
(1731) The civilian settlement, San Fernando de Bexar, established by a group of Canary Islanders
(1766) The first recorded hurricane in Texas struck near Galveston
1800's
(1829) Several groups of Irish immigrants arrived in South Texas
(1830) The Mexican government passed a law stopping legal immigration into Texas from the United States except in special cases
(1832) The first bloodshed of the Texas Revolution took place at Velasco
(1835) The Texas Rangers organization officially established by the provisional government
(1836) The Texas Declaration of Independence adopted; a 13-day siege of the Alamo by Mexican troops led by Gen. Antonio López de Santa Anna ended with all the remaining defenders killed; about 350 Texas prisoners, including Commander James Fannin, were executed at Goliad; an 18 minute battle led by Sam Houston defeated the Mexican army at San Jacinto; treaties were signed ending the Texas Revolution; the first leaders of the new republic were elected: Sam Houston as president and Lorenzo de Zavala, vice president; the first congress of the Republic of Texas convened
(1837) The Republic of Texas officially recognized by the United States
(1845) The U. S. Congress passed a "Joint Resolution for Annexing Texas to the United States"; Texas became the 28th state.
(1846) The Battle of Palo Alto, the first major battle of the two-year Mexican War, took place near Brownsville
(1848) The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo signed ending the War with Mexico in 1850. Texas gave up its claim to land that included more than half of what is now New Mexico, about a third of Colorado, a corner of Oklahoma and a small portion of Wyoming
(1861) Texas seceded from the Union; Sam Houston resigned as governor in protest
(1865) The Battle of Palmito Ranch fought near Brownsville after the official end of the Civil War, as word had not yet reached Texas that the war was over; General Granger traveled to Galveston to announce that slavery had been abolished
(1865) A proclamation of peace between the United States and Texas was issued
(1869) A new Texas State constitution adopted
(1871) Seven men in a wagon train were massacred at Salt Creek, about 20 miles west of Jacksboro, by Kiowas and Comanches led by chiefs Satanta, Big Tree, Satank and Eagle Heart
(1884) Fence-cutting problems caused the Texas Legislature to pass a law making fence-cutting a felony
(1886) A hurricane damaged or destroyed every house in the port of Indianola, which was never rebuilt
(1888) State capitol in Austin dedicated
(1894) Oil discovered at Corsicana by workers drilling for fresh water
