Texas, located in the South Central region of the United States, is the second-largest state in both area and population, boasting over 31 million residents as of 2024. It shares borders with Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and four Mexican states, as well as having a coastline on the Gulf of Mexico. Known as the Lone Star State, it derives this nickname from its history as the independent Republic of Texas.
In 1900, Texas suffered the deadliest natural disaster in U.S. history during the Galveston hurricane.
On January 10, 1901, the first major oil well in Texas, Spindletop, was found south of Beaumont, transforming the state's economy.
In 1901, the Democratic-dominated state legislature passed a bill requiring payment of a poll tax for voting and established white primaries, disenfranchising minorities.
After 1912, the Socialist Party became the second-largest party in Texas, coinciding with a large socialist upsurge in the United States.
In 1915, the Galveston hurricane was one of the devastating Texas hurricanes.
In 1940, Texas was 74% White, 14.4% Black, and 11.5% Hispanic.
By 1950, the phrase "everything is bigger in Texas" was in regular use.
In 1957, Hurricane Audrey was one of the devastating Texas hurricanes.
In 1959, Alaska became a state, making Texas the second-largest U.S. state.
In 1961, Hurricane Carla was one of the devastating Texas hurricanes.
In 1967, Hurricane Beulah was one of the devastating Texas hurricanes.
In 1972, oil production in Texas averaged three million barrels per day at its peak.
Since the US Supreme Court allowed capital punishment to resume in 1976, 40% of all U.S. executions have taken place in Texas.
In 1979, Tropical Storm Claudette caused damage to Texas.
Since 1980, San Antonio has become recognized as "The Tejano Music Capital Of The World".
Since 1980, most Texas voters have supported Republican presidential candidates.
In 1983, Hurricane Alicia was one of the devastating Texas hurricanes.
In 1986, the "Don't Mess with Texas" slogan began as an anti-littering advertisement campaign, later evolving into a cultural identity statement.
In 1989, Tropical storm Allison caused damage to Texas.
By 1990, Hispanics and Latino Americans overtook Blacks to become the largest minority group in Texas.
Since 1994, Texans have not elected a Democrat to a statewide office.
In 1996, Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) initiated the first light rail system in the Southwest United States.
In 1996, the Hopwood v. Texas case influenced Texas's alternative affirmative action plan, Texas House Bill 588.
Since 1997, Texas Motor Speedway has been the venue for annual NASCAR Cup Series and IndyCar Series auto races.
In 2000, Texas had already redistricted following the census.
In 2000, the population of foreign-born residents was 2,899,642.
In 2001, Tropical storm Allison caused damage to Texas.
Since 2002, Texas has led the U.S. in state export revenue.
In 2003, Texas underwent a redistricting of Congressional districts led by Republican Tom DeLay, which was described as "an extreme case of partisan gerrymandering".
In 2004, on Christmas Eve, 6 inches (150 mm) of snow fell as far south as Kingsville, where the average high temperature in December is 65 °F.
In 2005, Hurricane Rita was one of the devastating Texas hurricanes.
In May 2006, Texas initiated the "code red" program due to the state having the largest proportion of the population without health insurance (25.1 percent) in the nation.
In 2006, Texas spent $7,275 per pupil, below the national average.
In 2006, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Texas (and Republicans) in the case League of United Latin American Citizens v. Perry, a legal challenge to the redistricting.
According to a 2007 study, Texas ranked forty-second in the percentage of residents who engage in regular exercise.
In 2007, Texas spent $7,275 per pupil, below the national average.
In 2008, Hurricane Ike was one of the devastating Texas hurricanes.
As of 2010, Texas's population density was 96.3 people per square mile (37.2 people/km).
From 2010 to 2014, the rate by which Texas women died from pregnancy-related complications doubled.
In 2010, there were 2,553 "emission events" in Texas which poured 44.6 million pounds (20,200 metric tons) of contaminants into the Texas sky.
The 2010 census recorded a Texas population of 29,145,505, a 15.9% increase.
In 2011, 28,569 public school students were paddled at least one time.
In 2011, Texas began using the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) test.
In 2011, the Texas Attorney General stated that Texas had about 2,294 colonias, and estimates about 500,000 lived in the colonias.
In 2012, the athletics portion of the Lone Star Showdown rivalry between Texas A&M University and the University of Texas at Austin was paused due to Texas A&M joining the SEC.
In the 2011-2012 school year, 28,569 public school students were paddled at least one time, making Texas one of the states with a high rate of corporal punishment.
In the 2011-2012 school year, Texas replaced the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) test with the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR).
Since 2012, Austin's Circuit of the Americas has hosted a round of the Formula 1 World Championship.
According to the American Community Survey's 2019 estimates, there was a decrease of 103,000 undocumented residents since 2014.
During the 2014 crisis, Texas's Rio Grande Valley saw significant migration from across the U.S.–Mexico border, including Central Americans seeking asylum.
From 2010 to 2014, the maternal mortality rate in Texas doubled, to 23.8 per 100,000.
In 2014, there were an estimated 1.7 million undocumented immigrants in Texas, making up 35% of the total Texas immigrant population and 6.1% of the total state population.
In the 2014 Texas elections, the Tea Party movement experienced significant gains, with several Tea Party favorites being elected into office.
In 2015, Texas had 4.7 million foreign-born residents, about 17% of the population.
According to the American Community Survey's 2019 estimates, there was an increase of 142,000 undocumented residents since 2016.
As of 2017, Texas emitted the most greenhouse gases in the U.S., about 1,600 billion pounds (707 million metric tons) of carbon dioxide annually.
In 2017, Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Rockport as a Category 4 Hurricane, causing widespread and catastrophic flooding and becoming the costliest hurricane worldwide.
As of 2018, the population increased to 4.9 million foreign-born residents or 17.2% of the state population, up from 2,899,642 in 2000.
In 2018, Texas had the 8th highest incarceration rate in the U.S.
According to the American Community Survey's 2019 estimates, 1,739,000 residents were undocumented immigrants.
In 2019, Tropical Storm Imelda caused damage to Texas.
In 2019, a study determined Texas's growth rate at 1,000 people per day.
In 2019, non-Hispanic Whites represented 41.2% of Texas's population, and Hispanics or Latino Americans of any race made up 39.7% of the estimated population.
On March 4, 2020, the first confirmed case of COVID-19 was announced in Texas.
On April 27, 2020, Governor Greg Abbott announced phase one of re-opening the Texas economy.
In November 2020, Texas was selected as one of four states to test Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine distribution.
As of 2020, six Texas cities had populations greater than 600,000.
At the 2020 census, the racial and ethnic composition of Texas was 42.5% White, 11.8% Black, 5.4% Asian, and 40.2% Hispanic and Latino American of any race.
In 2020, The University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University were ranked as the 21st and 41st best universities in the nation, respectively, according to the Center for World University Rankings report.
In the 2020 census, the resident population of Texas was 29,145,505.
As of February 2, 2021, there had been over 2.4 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Texas, with at least 37,417 deaths.
In May 2021, the Texas legislature passed the Texas Heartbeat Act, banning abortion from as early as six weeks of pregnancy.
During February 13–17, 2021, Texas faced a major weather emergency as Winter Storm Uri hit the state, causing a power crisis and leaving millions without power or potable water.
During February 13–17, 2021, an arctic air mass penetrated Texas, resulting in crises such as the 2021 Texas power crisis.
In 2021, the Panther City Lacrosse Club played their inaugural season at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.
As of July 2, 2022, Texas surpassed a total estimated population of 30 million people.
On August 25, 2022, a law took effect in Texas making abortion at any stage of pregnancy a felony punishable by life in prison.
According to HUD's 2022 Annual Homeless Assessment Report, there were an estimated 24,432 homeless people in Texas.
As of the midterm elections of 2022, a large majority of the members of Texas's U.S. House delegation are Republican, along with both U.S. Senators.
In 2022, the Panther City Lacrosse Club continued playing local matches at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.
As of July 1, 2024, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the population of Texas was 31,290,831.
As of 2024, Texas had over 31 million residents, making it the second-largest state by both area and population in the United States.
In 2024, the athletics portion of the Lone Star Showdown rivalry resumed when the University of Texas joined Texas A&M in the SEC.