Happy Birthday, TEXAS

Today, in honor of Texas Independence Day, I thought I'd share some "fun facts" about the GREAT STATE OF TEXAS.

Texas declared it's independence from Mexico on March 2, 1836 and is the only state in the United States to have been an independent nation (1836-1845).

The Battle of the Alamo lasted nearly two weeks with 190 Texans defending against a Mexican army numbering 4,000-5,000 during its final charge.

Texas is the only state to have the flags of six different nations fly over it. They are: Spain, France, Mexico, Republic of Texas, Confederate States and the United States.

When Texas was annexed by the United States in 1845 it retained the right to fly its flag at the same height as the national flag.

Texas is known as the LONE STAR STATE. The name ‘Texas' was derived from the Indian word ‘tejas', which literally means friends or allies.

Three of the nations 10 largest cities are in Texas (Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio). Austin is the state capital.

Texas is the second largest state of US, in terms of area as well as population.

Texas is nearly 1000 miles both from east to west and from north to south. It boasts of a very varied geography, which goes piney woods to semi-forests of oak and cross timbers, into rolling plains and prairie and then, finally to desert.

Dr Pepper was invented in Waco, Texas in 1885 and the original recipe is still made at the Dr Pepper factory in Dublin, Texas.

Texas' state sport is rodeo (though unofficially it's High School football).

The official food of Texas is chili (though Chicken Fried Steak and Bar-B-Cue are state favorites as well).

Texas state flower is the bluebonnet (and it should be a great year for bluebonnets this year). It's been said that the bluebonnet is to Texas what the shamrock is to Ireland.

Texas has a land area of 261,914 square miles (and that's a lot of real estate).

And last, but not least, Texas is home to some of the most humble people anywhere. "I wasn't born in Texas but I got here as quickly as I could"