April 13th in 1709, an expedition led by Antonio de San Buenaventura y Olivares and Isidro Félix de Espinosa reached the location of what would become the city of San Antonio. Nearly two centuries later, in 1896, aviation pioneer Ira Clarence Eaker was born in Field Creek, Texas. Eaker made history in 1930 by completing the first transcontinental flight that relied entirely on aerial refueling.
In 1902, the first council of the Knights of Columbus in Texas was established in El Paso, highlighting the state’s diverse cultural and religious landscape. Then in 1958, Van Cliburn, a native of Kilgore, TX, achieved a major milestone by winning 1st prize in the Tchaikovsky International Piano Contest in Moscow. He became the first American to receive this prestigious award, showcasing Texas’s talent and innovation on a global stage.