CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — On this day in 1845, U.S. Congress approved the annexation of the Republic of Texas. We chose to celebrate by reflecting on some of the things that Texas is famous for.
Texas pride runs in a Texan's blood. The state has a whole bunch to be proud of.
In no particular order, here is what we came up with:
South Padre Island - The Spring Break Capitol of Texas.
H-E-B - The Texas-based supermarket chain began in 1905 when Florence Thornton Butt moved her family to Kerrville, Texas.
Selena Quintanilla - Selena's legacy was born in Corpus Christi, Texas and has reached the entire globe.
N.A.S.A - One of the few leading organizations exploring the universe.
Tex-Mex - A style of food that makes Texans feel good on the inside.
Whooping Cranes - A majestic bird that migrates south to Texas in mid-September to mate.
Houston Livestock and Rodeo Show - The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is the largest indoor livestock exhibition and rodeo in the world.
Fajitas - Credit for Fajitas goes to Mexican ranch workers living along the Rio Grande in West Texas in the late 1930s or early 1940s.
Friday Night Lights - All five seasons of the popular TV show Friday Night Lights were filmed in Austin and Pflugerville.
Hennessey Venom GT - Made in Sealy, Texas the world's fastest road car can go a record-breaking 270 miles per hour and accelerate from zero to 100 in 5.6 seconds.
Farrah Fawcett - From Corpus Christi, Texas, Farrah Leni Fawcett was a actress of stage and screen, model, and artist. She was a five-time Emmy Award nominee and six-time Golden Globe Award nominee.
Stetson cowboy hats - Made in Garland, Texas, the Stetson hat is an iconic symbol for Texas. The John B. Stetson company was founded in 1865.
Dell Computers - Houston, Texan native Michael Dell helped launch the personal computer revolution in the 1980s with the creation of the Dell Computer Corporation.
Pantera - One of the most classic American heavy metal bands. Pantera fromed in 1981 in Arlington, Texas.
Shiner Beer - Shiner beer has been brewed in Shiner, Texas since 1909.
Matthew Mcconaughey - The Oscar-winning actor and producer is from Texas and recently joined the faculty of the University of Texas at Austin as an instructor.
Austin City Limits - Austin City Limits is an American public television music program recorded live in Austin, Texas, by PBS member television station KLRU, and broadcast on many PBS stations around the United States.
Beyonce Knowles - The Queen Bey is from Houston, Texas. Her family still lives there.
The Alamo - The Battle of the Alamo happened in 1836 from Feb 23 to March 6 and was a pivotal battle in the Texas Revolution. Today is a popular tourist destination in San Antonio.
Willie Nelson - One of the most influential folk artists of all time. Willie Nelson was born in Abbott, Texas.
Dublin Dr. Pepper - Dublin Dr Pepper was the popular name for the sugar cane sweetened style of Dr Pepper soft drink made by the Dublin Dr Pepper Bottling Company in Dublin, Texas. No high-fructose corn syrup here.
Liquid Paper - Texas woman, Bette Nesmith Graham (March 23, 1924 – May 12, 1980) was an American typist, commercial artist, and the inventor of the correction fluid Liquid Paper
Nolan Ryan - Nolan Ryan, was born in Refugio, Texas and was an American professional right-handed baseball pitcher. In 1983 he became the first pitcher to surpass Walter Johnson’s record of 3,508 career strikeouts, set in 1927.
Office Space - This classic comedy was was shot in Dallas and Austin, Texas and was created by Mike Judge
Stevie Ray Vaughan - One of the most influential guitarists in the revival of blues in the 1980s. Vaughan was born and raised in Dallas, Texas.
Buddy Holly - He was a singer-songwriter who was a pioneering of mid-1950s rock and roll and was born in Lubbock, Texas,
Big Bend National Park - Tucked away in southwest Texas the park covers the entire Chisos mountain range and a large portion of the Chihuahuan Desert.
Janis Joplin - Born in Port Arthur, Texas, one of the most successful and widely known rock stars of her era, she was known for her powerful mezzo-soprano vocals and "electric" stage presence.
SXSW - Founded in 1987 in Austin, Texas, SXSW has is one of the biggest festivals highlighting creatives across the globe.
Selena Gomez - Selena Marie Gomez is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and television producer from Grande Prairie Texas. One of her first gigs was on Barney & Friends.
Barney the Dinosaur - Barney was created in 1987 by Sheryl Leach of Dallas, Texas. She wanted something on screen to appeal to her son.
George Strait - This Poteet, Texas native is one of the best-selling music artists of all time. George has sold more than 100 million records worldwide.
Schlitterbahn - The first of the parks was in New Braunfels and opened in 1979. The park was named "slippery road" in German because of the local area's German heritage.
Chili - The origins of chili are debated among historians. J. C. Clopper was the first American known to have remarked about San Antonio’s chili carne, wrote in 1926, "When they have to pay for their meat in the market, a very little is made to suffice for a family; this is generally into a kind of hash with nearly as many peppers as there are pieces of meat – this is all stewed together.”
ZZ Top - This classic American heavy rock trio formed in 1969 in Houston, Texas.
Fritos - Fritos corn chips was launched by C. E. Doolin of San Antonio, Texas.
Kelly Clarkson - Born in Burleson, Texas, this American singer and actress won the first season of the television series American Idol.
Tito's Vodka - Tito's Handmade Vodka is a vodka brand founded in 1997 by Tito Beveridge in Austin, Texas.
Dallas Cowboys - Not everyone is a fan of the Cowboys in Texas, but America's team has 5 super bowl wins. The team is headquartered in Frisco, Texas, and plays its home games at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Drew Brees - Born in Austin, Texas, Andrew Christopher Brees, better known as Drew Brees, has achieved great feats of football in the NFL and in college.
Ruby Red Grapefruit - After 100 years of Texans growing regular grapefruit in the Rio Grande Valley a mutation on a single tree became the famed Texas Ruby Red in 1929. it received the first-ever patent awarded to a grapefruit.
Jim Parsons - Star of Big Bang Theory on CBS, Parsons was born and raised in Houston, Texas
The San Antonio Riverwalk - The San Antonio Riverwalk history begins in 1929 with an architect by the name of Robert H. H. Hugman. Mr. Hugman came up with a plan to improve the aesthetics of the river that ran through the city.
Sharon Tate - Born in Dallas, Texas, Sharon Tate received glowing reviews for her comedic and dramatic acting performances, Tate was hailed as one of Hollywood's most promising newcomers before she was murdered by members of the Manson Family.
Texas Barbecue - Central Texas barbecue is said to have come from Czech and German settlers who owned butcher shops and would often smoke leftover meat to preserve it. They began offering smoked meat to customers, and it was so popular they eventually evolved into barbecue joints.
No Country for Old Men - Considered a staple of film, No Country for Old Men was filmed primarily in and around Marfa, Texas and Las Vegas, New Mexico.
St. Arnolds Beer - The Saint Arnold Brewing Company started in 1994 in Houston, Texas, It was named after named after Saint Arnulf of Metz the patron saint of brewing.
3-D Printing - In 1988, at the University of Texas, Carl Deckard brought a patent for the SLS technology, another 3D printing technique in which powder grains are fused together locally by a laser.
Patrick Swayze - This Houston, Texas native was an American actor, dancer, singer, and songwriter. Appearances in films during the 1980s made him popular for playing tough and romantic male leads, giving him a status as a sex symbol.
Bonnie and Clyde - Bonnie and Clydewas filmed mostly in Texas, although some scenes were filmed at Midwest Street, "Anytown, U.S.A." in Burbank, California.
