History

Houston loves being America’s Space City now, but do you know just how close it came to not having NASA’s Johnson Space Center in town?When NASA was approved to build a new crewed spaceflight laboratory, there were 23 sites considered.

Tradition is important – especially as we wrap up this most unconventional year – and Houston has some magnificent holiday stories to tell.

In 2004, Houston got its first Christmas Eve snow in history, after an arctic front blasted through southeast Texas and brought freezing temperatures with it.

The USS Battleship Texas launched in May 1912 and served through both World Wars before being declared a museum ship in 1948.

The Alley Theatre is Texas’ oldest, and one of America’s leading, nonprofit theatre companies.

Where were you Labor Day weekend, 1989? If you were in Houston, chances are you or someone you know were among the 120,000 who attended “The Biggest Party in History” at the Astrodome.

Just an hour drive from Houston sits Washington-on-the-Brazos, “The birthplace of Texas.”

Though better known for space and Tex-Mex, Houston also contributed to the burgeoning hip-hop scene beginning in the 1980s.

In 1949, oil tycoon Glenn McCarthy opened the $21 million Shamrock Hotel. To ensure maximum publicity, McCarthy invited 2,000 guests, including reporters, Hollywood royalty and the mayor of Houston.

Born in 1793, Sam Houston ran away from home as a teenager to join the Cherokee and became known as “Raven.” At age 19 he fought in the War of 1812, and at 30, was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.

If you head west of downtown to 3695 Overture Drive, you’ll discover an abandoned, signless palace befitting of Dr. Evil. Its intentions, however, were much more peaceful.

The Houston Rodeo was started because America needed a special kind of cow.

Builder, banker, publisher and politician Jesse H. Jones was once known as Mr. Houston. An eighth-grade dropout, he arrived in Houston in 1898 and made his fortune as a developer and builder, constructing 35 skyscrapers.

National Women’s History Month was created to highlight the many unsung female figures in our nation’s history. Each of us has benefited from contributions made by women who have helped to build and protect America.

Fall is here and even though we’re escaping 100-degree weather, we’re still hitting 100s over the city.

Sunday, July 15, marked the 95th anniversary of the completion of construction on the Alaska Railroad. If you are not familiar with the story, President Warren G. Harding made a historic trip to Alaska in 1923, becoming the first U.S. president to visit the Last Frontier. This date commemorates the completion of the railroad in Nenana, when the president himself drove in the golden spike that officially completed the main line.

Houston didn’t have a deep-water port until 1914. For years, the harbor was too shallow to allow anything but barges to pass through. But after a hurricane devastated Galveston in 1900, leaders approved a dredging plan to make way for larger vessels.

Who knew that in 2014, a Sports Illustrated cover predicting the Astros would win the 2017 World Series would become one the most sought-after collector’s items following the big win? ESPN reports that full copies of the magazine, published on June 30, 2014, have sold on eBay auctions for as much as $1,025 each.

Our hearts go out to those affected by Hurricane Harvey. New Orleanians know how difficult it can be to rebuild after a disaster. Those wanting to help may be similarly overwhelmed, unsure of where to send their aid.

Got the summer hump day blues? Have no fear, Raven Tower has got you covered. Every Wednesday, head to one of Houston’s best neighborhood bars and check out the free Saint Arnold Local and Independent Concert Series.

Last year, the Houston Chronicle relocated from its longtime historic downtown location.