(1900) The "Great Storm," (hurricane) the greatest natural disaster in human terms ever to strike North America, destroyed much of Galveston and killed over 6,000 people
(1910) The first military air flight in a Wright brothers' plane took place in San Antonio
(1918) Texas women won the right to vote in elections
(1925) Miriam "Ma" Ferguson became Texas' first woman governor, she served as a figurehead for her husband, former Gov. James E. Ferguson who was impeached
(1928) Democratic National Convention held in Houston
(1936) The Texas Centennial Exposition opened at Dallas' Fair Park
(1937) A natural gas leak beneath the London Consolidated School in Rusk County caused a massive explosion, estimated 296 students and teachers were killed
(1943) A race riot in Beaumont led to a declaration of martial law
(1947) A French-owned ship carrying ammonium nitrate exploded in the Texas City Harbor followed by another explosion the next morning - the SS High Flyer; 600 people were killed and over 4,000 injured. The force of the explosions created a 15-foot tidal wave
(1948) Lyndon B. Johnson elected U. S. Senator
(1953) Dwight D. Eisenhower became the first Texas-born President of the United States
(1962) NASA opened the Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston
(1963) President John Kennedy assassinated in Dallas
(1965) San Antonio native, Ed White, became the first American to walk in space
(1966) Barbara Jordan of Houston became the first black woman elected to the Texas Senate; Charles Whitman killed 17 people at the University of Texas campus in Austin, shooting them from the observation deck of the main-building tower
(1969) Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong transmitted the first words from the surface of the moon: "Houston, the Eagle has landed"
(1971) The NASA Houston/Clear Lake facility is renamed the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center
(1984) Republican Nat Convention held in Dallas
(1988) George H.W. Bush elected president of the United States
(1993) Federal agents stormed the compound called Mount Carmel near Waco, where cult leader David Koresh and his followers, called Branch Davidians, had reportedly been storing a large cache of assault weapons. The assault and ensuing fire killed four agents and 86 Branch Davidians; Republican Kay Bailey Hutchison became the first woman to serve as U.S. Senator from Texas
2000's
(2000) Former Texas Gov. George W. Bush elected President of the United States
(2001) Enron filed for bankruptcy protection
(2003) Space shuttle Columbia broke apart across southeastern Texas as it descended toward its planned landing, all crew members were lost
(2004) Lance Armstrong won sixth Tour de France
(2004) George W. Bush re-elected U. S. President
(2005) Republican majority leader in US House of Representatives, Tom DeLay, indicted with criminal conspiracy by grand jury in Texas
(2005) Hurricane Rita forced over 1 million to evacuate
(2006) Two Enron executives convicted of conspiracy, fraud
(2007) Gunman at Johnson Space Center in Houston killed male hostage, self
(2008) Hurricane Ike struck Texas Gulf Coast, caused major flooding, billions of dollars in damages
(2009) Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan opened fire on fellow soldiers at Fort Hood military base, killed 13, injured 30
(2011) Texas wildfires destroyed over 1 million acres, burned over 1,000 homes
(2011) Governor Rick Perry announced candidacy for Republican nominee in 2012 presidential race
