| Vol 8, No 159 | June 8, 1845 | Sunday Evening |
(1965) 
On this date in 1965, the first amateur draft of Major League Baseball took place. Rick Monday was the first player chosen (by the Oakland A's). Over 1,500 players were selected. Unlike other sports where draft picks are expected to make an immediate impact on the teams, players selected in the baseball draft often spend several years in the minor leagues before entering the majors. Seven of the 20 first round picks in 1965, never made it to the majors.
(1977)
In 1977, Nolan Ryan set new records in strike outs, at one point striking out 11 or more batters in 5 straight games. On this date in 1977, Ryan went 10 innings against the Toronto Blue Jays, striking out 19 batters for the California Angels. Ryan recorded 19 strike outs four times in his career, a major league record.
On this date in 1908, Ralph Yarborough was born. He would become a United States Senator, and offen found himself at odds with the more conservative Texas legislature.
(1845)
On this date in 1845, Sam Houston and family arrived at Andrew Jackson's estate, The Hermitage, in Tennessee. Jackson died just one hour before Houston's arrival. In 1854, Houston will name a son after Jackson. Houston has been a great admirer and friend of Jackson. It was Jackson who suggested that Houston, when he left politics, migrate to Texas.
(1819)
In 1819, the US signed a treaty with Spain that gave Florida to the US in exchange for the US giving up it's claim to Texas. Following the LaSalle Expedition to and colonization of Matagorda and LaSalles subsequent expeditions to the Pecos and Rio Grande rivers, many believed that French territory extended to the Rio Grande, and was part of the Louisiana Purchase. However, by 1819, in the midst of a Mexican revolution, there was little Spain could to to prevent excursions into Texas by American settlers. On this date in 1819, James Long, his family and about 300 such settlers entered Texas, settling in Nacogdoches, and later on the Bolivar Peninsula with the idea of setting up a new Republic of Texas.
(2002)
On this date in 2002, Six Flags Over Texas opened it's Best of Texas Festival, which ran through August 11th. Featured at the event was a replica of the Alamo, a giant Killer Bee from Hidalgo, the giant Jack Rabbit from Odessa, Poteet's big Strawberry, and the world's most Horned Toad. Old Rip was entombed in the cornerstone of Eastland County Court House for 31 years until 1928, when the cornerstone was opened, and Old Rip began to move again. Following his miraculous survival, Old Rip toured the country until he died in 1929. He was placed in a glass topped casket and put on display in the Eastland County Courthouse. In 1971 he was kidnapped. Today, he goes on display at six flags, the first time he has left the Eastland County Courthouse since his 1973 toad-napping. His trip to Six Flags was in the back of a hurse, complete with a police escort for the entire 150 mile trip.
On this date in 1916, Texas fiddler Adolph Hofner was born in Moulton (Lavaca County). He will best be remember for his 1941 Fiddle breakdown "Cotton Eyed Joe", a Texas classic and standard for any Texas band worth their tequilla.