Texas+State+Facts

 Presented by Ms. King's 5th Grade Class Jollyville Elementary School Austin, Texas

1. Texas was the 28th state in the USA; it was admitted on December 29, 1845. 2. The s tate capital is Austin. 3. The largest city  is Houston. 4. Texas is the second biggest state in the USA - only Alaska is bigger. 5. Texas is the second most populous state in the USA, after California. 6. Presidents Dwight David Eisenhower, Lyndon Baines Johnson , and George W. Bush were from Texas. 7. The name Texas  comes from the Native American word "Tejas," meaning "those who are friends". 8. The state nickname  is The Lone Star State. 9. Many dinosaur fossils have been found in Texas. 10. The state flower is the Bluebonnet. 11. The state tree is the Pecan Tree. 12. The state bird is the Mockingbird. 13. Texas has been a part of six different countries: Spain, France, Mexico, the Republic of Texas, the Confederate States, and the United States. That is where the name for the theme park "Six Flags" comes from. 14. Texas has three of the top ten most populous cities in the U.S. - Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio. 15. It would take about 12 hours to drive across Texas (from El Paso east to Texarkana). 16. Under t he Constitution of 1845 (the resolution that allowed Texas into the Union), Texas has the right to divide into 4 states in addition to the original Texas, but nobody except for our governor wants to do that. 17. When Texas was annexed (became part of the United States) in 1845 it retained (kept) the right to fly its flag at the same height as the national flag. 18. Public school students in Texas study Texas history for 2 whole years: in fourth grade and seventh grade. 19. The Alamo is a former mission in San Antonio, Texas, where many brave Texas men died during the fight for independence from Mexico. “Remember the Alamo!” was a famous battle cry that the soldiers used. Many Texas consider the Alamo to be a sacred place. 20. Austin is known as "the live music capitol of the world" because of its vibrant music scene (including the world-famous South by Southwest music and film festival every Spring) and its rich musical history. Janis Joplin, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Willie Nelson and many other famous musicians are from Austin.