1. Once a province of Spain, then governed by Mexico, Texas became an independent nation between 1836 and 1846.
2. The name “Texas” comes from “tejas”, a Native American word meaning “friends” or “allies”.
3. From 1845 until Alaska became a state in 1959, Texas was the largest US state in the area.
4. Texas, Our Texas, the official state song of Texas, was written in 1924 by William J Marsh, who was born in Liverpool.
5. When Alaska became a state, the third line of Texas, Our Texas was changed with “largest and grandest” replaced by “boldest and grandest”.
6. In September 1900, a hurricane killed more than 8,000 people in the city of Galveston, Texas, the deadliest natural disaster in US history.
7. Sam Houston, first President of the Republic of Texas, was elected on September 5, 1836.
8. The city of Houston, Texas is named after him. The first word spoken on the moon was “Houston”.
9. It is illegal to play Texas Hold ’Em Poker (or any other gambling game) for money in Texas.
10. The state mammal of Texas is the armadillo. The state shellfish is the lightning whelk.