From political milestones and military turning points to the births of influential Texans, December has been a month of defining moments in the Lone Star State’s story. These events span centuries and touch every corner of Texas life, revealing how battles, leadership changes, business ventures, and natural forces have shaped its identity. Here’s a day-by-day look at the notable events that marked Texas history in December.
| Date | Category | Event |
|---|---|---|
| December 2, 1835 | Military Strategy | Philip Dimmitt at Goliad urges a Matamoros Expedition to broaden the Texas Revolution. |
| December 2, 1884 | Politics & Infrastructure | Cornerstone laid for the Texas State Capitol in Austin. |
| December 5, 1835 | Military History | Texians begin a decisive house-to-house assault during the Siege of Béxar in San Antonio. |
| December 10, 1838 | Political Leadership | Mirabeau B. Lamar is inaugurated as the second President of the Republic of Texas. |
| December 11, 1835 | Military History | General Martín Perfecto de Cos surrenders San Antonio to Texian forces. |
| December 14, 1918 | Business History | Leonard Brothers open their first department store in Fort Worth. |
| December 15, 1845 | Politics & Government | J. Pinckney Henderson is elected the first Governor of the State of Texas. |
| December 15, 1934 | Cultural Development | Coin sales in Austin begin fundraising for the Texas Memorial Museum. |
| December 15, 1992 | Sports History | First NHL regular-season game played in Texas at Dallas’s Reunion Arena. |
| December 16, 1826 | Political Uprising | Fredonian Rebellion begins as settlers seize the Old Stone Fort in Nacogdoches. |
| December 16, 1989 | Birth / Sports | Randy Bullock is born. He later stars at Texas A&M and plays in the NFL. |
| December 19, 1859 | Death / Political History | Former Republic President Mirabeau B. Lamar dies in Richmond, Texas. |
| December 20, 1835 | Politics & Government | Goliad Declaration of Independence is issued at Presidio La Bahía. |
| December 21, 1826 | Political Uprising | Republic of Fredonia is formally declared in Nacogdoches. |
| December 22, 1836 | Government Infrastructure | First Congress of the Republic of Texas establishes the General Land Office. |
| December 23, 1927 | Crime History | Santa Claus Bank Robbery occurs in Cisco, leading to a large manhunt. |
| December 24, 1810 | Birth / Urban Founding | John Neely Bryan is born. He later founds the city of Dallas. |
| December 25, 1907 | Birth / Business | Glenn McCarthy is born in Beaumont. He becomes a prominent oilman and hotel builder. |
| December 26, 2015 | Natural Disaster | North Texas tornado outbreak strikes the DFW area, including an EF-4 in Garland and Rowlett. |
| December 27, 1836 | Death / Political History | Stephen F. Austin dies in West Columbia, known as the “Father of Texas.” |
| December 27, 1971 | Birth / Cultural | Gwendolyn Zepeda is born in Houston. She later becomes the city’s first Poet Laureate. |
| December 29, 1845 | State Formation | Texas is admitted to the United States as the 28th state. |
December 2
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1835 – Military Strategy – Philip Dimmitt at Goliad urges a Matamoros Expedition to broaden the Texas Revolution.
Philip Dimmitt, commander of Texian forces at Presidio La Bahía in Goliad, issued a call for a bold campaign into Matamoros, a Mexican port city on the Rio Grande. His idea was to link up with Mexican federalists opposed to Santa Anna’s centralist regime. While controversial among Texian leaders, the proposal showed early revolutionary ambition to expand operations beyond Texas. -
1884 – Politics & Infrastructure – Cornerstone laid for the Texas State Capitol in Austin.
The cornerstone for the Texas State Capitol was laid in Austin. Funded in part by the famous XIT Ranch land deal, the building would take six years to complete and later become one of the largest state capitols in the U.S., a landmark of Texas political life.
December 5
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1835 – Military History – Texians begin a decisive house-to-house assault during the Siege of Béxar in San Antonio.
In the midst of the Siege of Béxar, Texian leaders Ben Milam and Frank W. Johnson led an early morning assault into San Antonio. Fighting was fierce and conducted house-by-house, with Texian forces slowly pushing Mexican troops toward the central plaza. This aggressive move was the turning point of the siege.
December 10
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1838 – Political Leadership – Mirabeau B. Lamar is inaugurated as the second President of the Republic of Texas.
Mirabeau B. Lamar was sworn in as the second President of the Republic of Texas, succeeding Sam Houston. Lamar championed public education—earning the nickname “Father of Texas Education”—but also pursued costly military campaigns against Native tribes, significantly shaping the young republic’s policies and finances.
December 11
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1835 – Military History – General Martín Perfecto de Cos surrenders San Antonio to Texian forces.
Mexican General Martín Perfecto de Cos surrendered San Antonio to the Texians after days of intense urban combat. The surrender terms allowed Cos and his soldiers to retreat south of the Rio Grande. This victory effectively removed Mexican military presence from much of Texas and emboldened Texian revolutionary forces in the months before the Alamo.
December 14
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1918 – Business History – Leonard Brothers open their first department store in Fort Worth.
The Leonard Brothers opened their first department store in Fort Worth. Starting with a modest location, the brothers built it into a regional retail powerhouse known for low prices and community involvement, influencing Texas commerce for decades. -
20th Century – Education & Civil Rights – School Defense League was formed in San Antonio.
The School Defense League was formed in San Antonio to promote better educational access for Mexican-American children. This grassroots organization reflected growing activism among Hispanic communities in the early to mid-20th century.
December 15
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1845 – Politics & Government – J. Pinckney Henderson is elected the first Governor of the State of Texas.
With Texas’s annexation imminent, J. Pinckney Henderson was elected as the first governor of the state. A veteran of the Texas Revolution and a skilled diplomat, Henderson’s leadership helped transition Texas from an independent republic into the Union. -
1934 – Cultural Development – Coin sales in Austin begin fundraising for the Texas Memorial Museum.
Austin residents purchased specially minted Texas Centennial half dollars, the proceeds funding the Texas Memorial Museum. This museum became a cornerstone for preserving Texas’s natural history, archaeology, and cultural heritage. -
1992 – Sports History – First NHL regular-season game played in Texas at Dallas’s Reunion Arena.
Dallas’s Reunion Arena hosted the first NHL regular-season game in Texas, with the New York Islanders facing the St. Louis Blues. The game showcased the potential for professional hockey in the state, paving the way for the Dallas Stars franchise.
December 16
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1826 – Political Uprising – Fredonian Rebellion begins as settlers seize the Old Stone Fort in Nacogdoches.
In Nacogdoches, Benjamin W. Edwards and a band of settlers seized the Old Stone Fort and declared a break from Mexican authority, beginning what became known as the Fredonian Rebellion. Though it lasted only weeks before being suppressed, it was the first attempt by Anglo settlers to secede from Mexico in Texas. -
1989 – Birth / Sports – Randy Bullock is born. He later stars at Texas A&M and plays in the NFL.
Randy Bullock was born in Texas. He would go on to become an All-American placekicker at Texas A&M and later play for multiple NFL teams, representing Texas talent on the national sports stage.
December 19
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1859 – Death / Political History – Former Republic President Mirabeau B. Lamar dies in Richmond, Texas.
Mirabeau B. Lamar, the second President of the Republic of Texas, died in Richmond, Texas. His legacy included establishing the foundation for Texas public education but also pushing for costly military conflicts. He remains one of the most debated figures of the republic era.
December 20
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1835 – Politics & Government – Goliad Declaration of Independence is issued at Presidio La Bahía.
At Presidio La Bahía in Goliad, settlers issued the Goliad Declaration of Independence, an early proclamation seeking separation from Mexico. Though it did not have unanimous support among Texian communities, it reflected a growing willingness to take bold political action toward independence.
December 21
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1826 – Political Uprising – Republic of Fredonia is formally declared in Nacogdoches.
Leaders of the Fredonian Rebellion formally declared the Republic of Fredonia, claiming independence from Mexican Texas. Their territory included parts of East Texas around Nacogdoches. The movement collapsed within weeks, but it foreshadowed the later Texas Revolution.
December 22
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1836 – Government Infrastructure – First Congress of the Republic of Texas establishes the General Land Office.
The First Congress of the Republic of Texas established the General Land Office to manage land grants and property titles. This agency became central to the orderly distribution of land to settlers and veterans, helping shape Texas’s settlement patterns.
December 23
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1927 – Crime History – Santa Claus Bank Robbery occurs in Cisco, leading to a large manhunt.
The infamous Santa Claus Bank Robbery unfolded in Cisco when Marshall Ratliff, disguised as Santa Claus, entered the First National Bank with three accomplices. A deadly gun battle erupted, killing multiple people. The manhunt that followed was one of the largest in early Texas law enforcement history.
December 24
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1810 – Birth / Urban Founding – John Neely Bryan is born. He later founds the city of Dallas.
John Neely Bryan, future founder of Dallas, was born. In 1841, Bryan established a trading post along the Trinity River that grew into the city of Dallas, now one of the largest urban centers in the United States.
December 25
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1907 – Birth / Business – Glenn McCarthy is born in Beaumont. He becomes a prominent oilman and hotel builder.
Glenn McCarthy, born in Beaumont, rose to fame as a flamboyant oil tycoon and entrepreneur. Nicknamed “Diamond Glenn,” he built the Shamrock Hotel in Houston, which became a symbol of postwar Texas prosperity and glamour.
December 26
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2015 – Natural Disaster – North Texas tornado outbreak strikes the DFW area, including an EF-4 in Garland and Rowlett.
A severe tornado outbreak struck the Dallas–Fort Worth area the day after Christmas. The most destructive was an EF-4 tornado that devastated Garland and Rowlett, killing 13 people, injuring many more, and causing over $1 billion in damage.
December 27
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1836 – Death / Political History – Stephen F. Austin dies in West Columbia, known as the “Father of Texas.”
Stephen F. Austin, known as the “Father of Texas” for his role in bringing Anglo-American settlers to the region and guiding it through early governance, died of pneumonia in West Columbia at age 43. His death came just months after Texas won its independence. -
1971 – Birth / Cultural – Gwendolyn Zepeda is born in Houston. She later becomes the city’s first Poet Laureate.
Gwendolyn Zepeda was born in Houston. She became a prominent author and, in 2013, was named the city’s first Poet Laureate, championing literacy and community engagement.
December 29
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1845 – State Formation – Texas is admitted to the United States as the 28th state.
Texas was formally admitted to the United States as the 28th state. The decision ended its decade as an independent republic and intensified tensions with Mexico, setting the stage for the U.S.–Mexican War.
From the first stirrings of rebellion in the 1820s to modern milestones in politics, business, and sports, December has repeatedly proven to be a month of turning points for Texas. Together, these events tell a story of resilience, ambition, and change that continues to define Texas today.