On August 17th, 1823, Stephen F. Austin began his colonization project by writing his first land contracts. Known as the “Father of Texas,” Austin played a key role in leading the second and ultimately successful colonization of the region by bringing 300 families from the United States. The day marked the first steps in the Anglo-American settlement of Texas, one that would dramatically affect the demographic and social structure of the region, laying the foundation for modern Texas.
Centuries later, a different kind of milestone was reached on August 17th, 1978, in the field of aviation. A Texan Longhorn named appropriately, “Sky King,” made history as the first cloned bull took to the skies in a specially modified cargo plane, from Austin to the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Animal Germplasm Program in Fort Collins, Colorado. This marked a significant advancement in the realm of livestock genetics and paved the way for future revolutions in agricultural technology.