On April 7th in 1817, Francisco Xavier Mina embarked on a mission to drive Spanish king Ferdinand VII from Mexico, only to be captured and executed with his companions at Fort San Gregorio. In 1825, Green DeWitt was successful in petitioning the Mexican government to establish a colony of 400 families in Texas.
Fast forward to 1886, Laredo, Texas witnessed one of the biggest gun battles in the history of the American West. Political factions clashed during a celebration parade, resulting in the involvement of military forces to restore peace. The death toll reached as high as 30, despite official reports stating 16 casualties.
In the political realm, 1914 saw Sam Rayburn taking the oath as a member of the United States House of Representatives, a position he held for over 48 years. Additionally, in 1970, Texan PFC Milton Lee was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroism during the Vietnam War.