Texas Historical Events for the Month of March

March has always been a pivotal month in Texas. Independence was declared at Washington-on-the-Brazos, the Alamo fell, and the New London School explosion reshaped safety laws. Canary Islanders settled in San Antonio, explorers rediscovered La Salle’s colony, and modern milestones—from the Fort Worth tornado to the legacy of Selena—continue to shape the state’s story.

This timeline takes you through March day by day, highlighting political decisions, cultural shifts, natural disasters, and everyday moments that left their mark on Texas.

Date	Category	Event
March 1, 1836	Politics \| State history	Convention opens at Washington-on-the-Brazos. Delegates form a committee to draft a declaration of independence.
March 1, 1845	U.S.-Texas relations	U.S. Congress passes the joint resolution to annex Texas, setting the path to statehood.
March 2, 1836	Politics \| State history	Texas Declaration of Independence adopted. March 2 becomes Texas Independence Day.
March 2, 1861	Civil War \| Politics	Secession ordinance takes legal effect after voter approval on February 23.
March 3, 1837	U.S.-Texas relations	United States formally recognizes the Republic of Texas.
March 4, 1861	Civil War \| Military	Confederate War Department orders Ben McCulloch to raise mounted riflemen in Texas.
March 5, 1842	Military \| Republic era	Gen. Rafael Vásquez occupies San Antonio, raises the Mexican flag, then withdraws two days later.
March 5, 1861	Civil War \| Politics	Convention enforces Confederate loyalty oaths for state officers.
March 6, 1836	Military \| Texas Revolution	The Alamo falls after a 13-day siege.
March 7, 2017	Sports	Dirk Nowitzki scores his 30,000th NBA point in Dallas.
March 9, 1731	State history \| Demography	Canary Islander families reach San Antonio and help form San Fernando de Béxar.
March 9, 1916	Borderlands \| Military	Pancho Villa raids Columbus, New Mexico, prompting U.S. military mobilization along the Texas border.
March 10, 1848	U.S.-Mexico relations	U.S. Senate ratifies the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, confirming the Rio Grande boundary for Texas.
March 11, 1827	Mexican era \| Law	Constitution of Coahuila y Tejas is published.
March 12, 1914	Military \| Naval	Battleship USS Texas (BB-35) is commissioned.
March 12, 1941	Military \| Aviation	Naval Air Station Corpus Christi is commissioned as a major pilot training base.
March 14, 1964	Courts \| Modern history	Jack Ruby is convicted of murdering Lee Harvey Oswald in Dallas.
March 15, 1916	Military \| U.S. history	Pershing’s Punitive Expedition enters Mexico after Villa’s raid; Texas posts stage troops and aviation.
March 16, 1861	Civil War \| Politics	Sam Houston is removed as governor for refusing the Confederate oath.
March 17, 1836	Politics \| State building	Constitution of the Republic of Texas is adopted after overnight work.
March 18, 1937	Disaster \| Public safety	New London School explosion kills nearly 300 and leads to gas odorization rules.
March 19, 1836	Military \| Texas Revolution	Battle of Coleto begins near Goliad as Fannin’s force is surrounded.
March 19, 1840	Indigenous history \| Conflict	Council House Fight erupts in San Antonio during a failed peace parley.
March 20, 1836	Military \| Texas Revolution	Fannin surrenders after Coleto; prisoners are marched to Presidio La Bahía.
March 21, 2018	Public safety \| Modern history	Austin serial bomber dies during a police pursuit near Round Rock.
March 22, 1836	Military \| Texas Revolution	Amon B. King and William Ward’s detachments are captured near Refugio and Dimitt’s Landing.
March 23, 1836	Military \| Texas Revolution	Santa Anna orders the execution of Texian prisoners held at Goliad.
March 24, 1825	Mexican era \| Immigration and land	State Colonization Law of Coahuila y Tejas is enacted, guiding empresario contracts.
March 25, 1843	Military \| Republic era	Black Bean Episode executions of Mier prisoners in Mexico.
March 27, 1836	Military \| Texas Revolution	Goliad Massacre. Hundreds of Texian prisoners are executed near Presidio La Bahía.
March 27, 1960	Science and nature \| Tourism	Natural Bridge Caverns are discovered north of San Antonio.
March 28, 1689	Spanish era \| Exploration	Alonso de León sets out to locate La Salle’s colony, leading to the rediscovery of Fort St. Louis.
March 28, 2000	Weather \| Disaster	Downtown Fort Worth tornado damages the central business district and nearby areas.
March 29, 1813	Military \| Mexican independence era	Battle of Rosillo Creek. Republican Army of the North defeats royalists near San Antonio.
March 30, 1870	Reconstruction \| Politics	Texas is readmitted to representation in the U.S. Congress.
March 31, 1995	Culture \| Music	Selena Quintanilla is killed in Corpus Christi. Her legacy continues to shape Texas music.

March 1

1836 — Convention opens at Washington-on-the-Brazos (Politics | State history). Delegates met and immediately formed a committee to draft a declaration of independence.
1845 — U.S. Congress passes the Joint Resolution to annex Texas (U.S.–Texas relations). This set the legal path for Texas statehood later that year.

March 2

1836 — Texas Declaration of Independence adopted (Politics | State history). Delegates approved independence from Mexico; this is why March 2 is Texas Independence Day.
1861 — Secession ordinance takes legal effect (Civil War | Politics). Voters approved secession on Feb. 23; by the ordinance’s terms it took effect March 2. Texas had already been accepted for Confederate statehood on Mar. 1; the convention reconvened Mar. 2 and later formalized acceptance on Mar. 5.

March 3

1837 — U.S. formally recognizes the Republic of Texas (U.S.–Texas relations). President Andrew Jackson recognized Texas on his last full day in office.

March 4

1861 — CSA war secretary orders Ben McCulloch to raise mounted riflemen in Texas (Civil War | Military). This began organization of frontier defense under Confederate authority.

March 5

1842 — Mexican Gen. Rafael Vásquez occupies San Antonio (Military | Republic era). He raised the Mexican flag and declared Mexican law in force, then withdrew two days later.
1861 — Ordinance of Secession “takes effect”; officers told to swear CSA loyalty (Civil War | Politics). The convention required state officials to take a Confederate oath.

March 6

1836 — The Alamo falls (Military | Texas Revolution). After a 13-day siege, Mexican forces overran the mission; Texian bodies were burned that afternoon, according to a local official’s account.

March 7

2017 — Dirk Nowitzki scores 30,000th NBA point in Dallas (Sports). The Mavericks star hit the milestone against the Lakers, the first international-born player to do so.

March 9

1731 — Canary Islander families reach San Antonio (State history | Demography). Fifty-plus settlers formed the first chartered civil municipality, San Fernando de Béxar.
1916 — Pancho Villa raids Columbus, New Mexico (Borderlands | Military). The raid prompted U.S. military operations that heavily involved Texas installations and troops.

March 10

1848 — U.S. Senate ratifies the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (U.S.–Mexico relations). Ratification finalized U.S.-Mexico peace and recognized the Rio Grande boundary for Texas.

March 11

1827 — Constitution of Coahuila y Tejas published (Mexican era | Law). The basic law for the combined state was issued on this date.

March 12

1914 — Battleship USS Texas (BB-35) commissioned (Military | Naval). The dreadnought later served in both world wars; today it’s preserved in Texas.
1941 — Naval Air Station Corpus Christi commissioned (Military | Aviation). The base quickly became a major WWII pilot-training hub.

March 14

1964 — Jack Ruby convicted of murdering Lee Harvey Oswald (Courts | Modern history). A Dallas jury found Ruby guilty; the conviction was later overturned, and Ruby died in 1967 before retrial.

March 15

1916 — Pershing’s Punitive Expedition enters Mexico from the Texas border (Military | U.S. history). The U.S. Army launched operations after Villa’s raid; Texas posts staged troops and aviation support.

March 16

1861 — Sam Houston removed as governor for refusing CSA oath (Civil War | Politics). Lt. Gov. Edward Clark replaced him the same day.

March 17

1836 — Constitution of the Republic of Texas adopted overnight, Mar. 16–17 (Politics | State building). Delegates completed and adopted the founding charter as the convention ended.

March 18

1937 — New London School explosion (Disaster | Public safety). A gas leak caused an explosion that killed nearly 300, leading to odorization requirements for natural gas.

March 19

1836 — Battle of Coleto begins (Military | Texas Revolution). James Fannin’s surrounded force fought in the open prairie near Goliad.
1840 — Council House Fight in San Antonio (Indigenous history | Conflict). A peace parley between Comanche leaders and Texians broke down into deadly fighting.

March 20

1836 — Fannin surrenders after Coleto (Military | Texas Revolution). Capitulation terms were later ignored, leading to executions at Goliad.

March 21

2018 — Austin serial bomber dies after pursuit (Public safety | Modern history). The suspect killed himself north of Austin; the bombings had targeted locations around the city.

March 22

1836 — Amon B. King and William Ward’s detachments captured near Refugio (Military | Texas Revolution). Stragglers from Fannin’s command were taken and later executed.

March 23

1836 — Santa Anna orders execution of Texian prisoners (Military | Texas Revolution). The order set the stage for the Goliad Massacre four days later.

March 24

1825 — State Colonization Law of Coahuila y Tejas enacted (Mexican era | Immigration & land). Together with the 1824 national law, it governed empresario contracts in Texas.

March 25

1843 — “Black Bean Episode” executions of Mier prisoners (Military | Republic era). Seventeen Texans drawn by lot were shot in Mexico after the failed Mier Expedition.

March 27

1836 — Goliad Massacre (Military | Texas Revolution). Hundreds of captured Texians were executed at Presidio La Bahía under the earlier order.
1960 — Natural Bridge Caverns discovered by cavers north of San Antonio (Science & nature | Tourism). The site later opened to the public and is now a major attraction.

March 28

1689 — Alonso de León sets out to locate La Salle’s colony; rediscovery of Fort St. Louis follows (Spanish era | Exploration). This expedition reasserted Spanish claims in Texas.
2000 — Downtown Fort Worth tornado (Weather | Disaster). A strong tornado struck the city’s core, causing major damage and injuries.

March 29

1813 — Battle of Rosillo Creek near San Antonio (Military | Mexican independence era). Republican Army of the North forces defeated royalists, opening the way to occupy Béxar.

March 30

1870 — Texas readmitted to representation in the U.S. Congress (Reconstruction | Politics). President Grant signed the act on this date; Texas senators were seated the next day.

March 31

1995 — Selena Quintanilla is killed in Corpus Christi (Culture | Music). The Tejano star’s death at 23 prompted an outpouring of grief across Texas and beyond.

From independence and revolution to tragedy, discovery, and culture, March has carried some of Texas’s most defining moments. Looking back on these events reminds us how each date adds another layer to the state’s long and remarkable story.