Over its history Texas has been part of 6 different nations and therefore flew 6 National flags. Spain, France, Mexico, Republic of Texas, Unites States of America and the Confederate States of America.

The community of Ysleta, Texas is considered the oldest settlement in Texas. In 1680 the Ysleta Mission began with the settlement built around it. Ysleta has been annexed and is currently part of El Paso, Texas.

Confederate Heroes Day, January 19th, is a holiday in Texas. January 19th is the birthday of Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s and in 1931 Texas approved the Robert E. Lee Birthday Holiday. In 1973 Jefferson Davis’ Birthday holiday (June 3rd) was eliminated and the two were combined and renamed Confederate Heroes Day.

The Kansas City Chiefs began as the Dallas Texans as one of the first six teams in the American Football League (AFL), forming in 1959. They moved to Kansas City in 1962. The Indianapolis Colts franchise also started in Dallas and also called the Texans. This Dallas Texans team played for two years before moving to Baltimore in 1953 taking the name Colts.

Until last October, Baseball’s Texas Rangers were the oldest team in the Major League Baseball to have never played in a World Series. The franchise began as the Washington Senators in 1961 after the original Washington Senators moved to Minnesota and renamed the Twins in 1960.

The Seattle Mariners and the Washington Nationals, originally the Montreal Expos, now are only other major league team not to appear in a World Series. The Mariners debuted in 1977 while the Expos debuted in 1969.

Mathias de Sousa listed in records as a Mulatto was of probable African and Portuguese descent. He was one of nine indentured servants at that settlement. His indenture service ended in 1638 and he became a full free member of the colony becoming a mariner and fur trader. As a freeman he was allowed to participate and vote in the colonial assembly.

When those first settlers arrived there were already pockets of settlers on lands that would become Maryland. In August of 1631 William Claiborne, a resident of the Virginia colony of Jamestown, founded a settlement near the southern end of the the largest island of the Chesapeake Bay. The trading post bore his name and was established with the purpose of trading with Native Americans. He named the island Kent Island after his birthplace of Kent, England.

Most people know that the Mason/Dixon line is the border between Maryland and Pennsylvania. It is also the the border between Maryland and Delaware. In the mid 1760′s when Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon performed the survey to resolve the border dispute between the two Colonies, Delaware was still considered as part of Pennsylvania.

Maryland has two official sports. Jousting became the official sport in 1962. In 2004 lacrosse became the official team sport in Maryland. Lacrosse is a native North American sport with its origins coming from a game played by native tribes.

The Smith Island Cake was designated as Maryland’s official dessert in 2008. The Smith Island Cake is a multi-layered (8-15) cake with icing between each thin layer. The most common flavor is yellow cake with chocolate icing, but there are many variations.

In James Cook’s log is an entry describing the natives as “riding the ocean’s waves on wooden boards”. This is the first written account by Europeans describing the sport of surfing.

Beginning in 1810 under the leadership of Kamehameha I, the islands were united under a single ruler.

The United States signed an exclusive trading treaty with Hawaii on On March 18, 1874. A year later the Reciprocity Treaty of 1875 allowed for duty-free importation of Hawaiian sugar (from cane) into the United States, with sugar plantations soon becoming one of their main agriculture produce.

The Republic of Hawaiʻi was established on July 4, 1894. Sanford Dole, a businessman who assisted in the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy, was named president after Lorrin A. Thurston declined the office.

Between 1894 and 1900, the Republic of Hawai’i repelled attempts to restore the monarchy at the same time they were petitioning the United States for annexation. On on February 22, 1900 Hawaii was formally made a territory of the United States. 59 years later Hawaii would become the 50th state (and so far the last to be granted statehood) on August 21, 1959.

The ninth to ratify was New Hampshire, a little over a month earlier on June 21, 1788. Upon ratification Virginia, the the most populous state and New York, the wealthiest state still hadn’t. Although Virginia did become the tenth on June 25th. And New York as stated in the first paragraph.

The Congress of the Confederation chose March 4, 1789 as the day “for commencing proceedings under the Constitution.” When Congress convened and George Washington took the oath as President, there were only 11 states of the United States. North Carolina and Rhode Island still hadn’t ratified.

Both of these waited until the Bill of Rights were submitted before their ratification. North Carolina on November 21, 1789 and Rhode Island on May 29, 1790.

The first state to be admitted that was not part of the original thirteen colonies of the Articles of Confederation was Vermont on March 4, 1791. Although Vermont had been operating as an independent state since the time of the Revolution.

By the time the century had ended and the election of 1800, two more states joined the union. Kentucky on June 1, 1792 and Tennessee 4 years later on June 1, 1796.

The name California is believed to derived from  a paradise ruled by Queen Califia.  The Myth of Califia was first recorded in 1510.  It it thought that this myth helped to fuel the exploration of the area by the Spanish.

Spanish missionaries set up 26 missions on the present California coast beginning in  1769 with a mission at present day San Diego.

After the Mexican War, Mexico lost the area that included California, Arizona, Nevada Colorado and Utah to the United States.

California is the most populated state of the United States and 3rd in area.  The Capital of the state is Sacramento with its largest city being Los Angeles.

The geography of the state varies from mountainous with it’s highest peak being Mount Whitney at  over 14,500 feet, the lowest point is -282 feet at Death Valley in the dessert as well as Pacific coastal beaches.

he name comes from the Dakota language. The word Mnisota can be translated into sky-tinted water, and so named the Minnesota River. The State took its name from the river.

The first European/United States settlers came after a treaty was signed between the Dakota Tribe and the United States for land near where the Missouri and Minnesota Rivers meet. In 1820 Fort Snelling was built there.

A great portion of the population of Minnesota, nearly 60%, live in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area, which is known as the Twin Cities.

Minnesota is the 21st most populated state of the United States and 12th in area. The Capital of the state is Saint Paul with its largest city being Minneapolis.

The state is called the “Land of 10,000 Lakes”. Along with state and national forests and parks, these lakes offer residents and tourists a vigorous outdoor lifestyle.

http://www.state.mn.us/