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Nov 5, 1492
Columbus
Columbus lands in the Bahamas, thinking he was in India. He never entered Texas! -
Nov 5, 1519
Pineda
Pineda maps the coastline from present day Florida to present day Texas. -
Nov 5, 1528
Cabeza de Vaca
Cabeza de Vaca and three men survive the Narvaez expedition by being shipwrecked on Galvestine Island. They are captured by Indians and held prisoner for many years. -
Nov 5, 1540
Coronado
Searched for the 7 cities of gold. Found nothing, and reported the Texas panhandle held nothing of value. -
Nov 5, 1542
Moscoso
Took over the de Soto expedition and led men into east Texas. He found petroleum, but did not know what its value was at the time. Turned around and backtracked home. -
Nov 5, 1542
Onate
Built Fort St. Louis on Matagorda Bay -
Juan de Onate
Claimed the Rio Grande valley for Spain. -
Mission Corpus Christi de la Ysleta
Shortly after the mission was built, 21 Spanish families moved to the area to meet the spiritual needs of the Tigua people. -
Mission San Francisco de los Tejas
This mission was later burned down and moved to San Antonio, and renamed Mission San Francisco de la Espada. -
La Salle
Built Fort Saint Louis, Garcitas Creek, Matagorda Bay, Texas. -
) Mission Santisimo Nombre de Maria
This mission was completely destroyed by flooding from the Neches River. -
Mission Nuestra Senora de la Concepción de Acuna
From the beginning the priests at Mission Concepcion tried to replace Indian ceremonies with religious festivals that taught the Indians about Christianity. -
Mission San Antonio de Valero
After the mission closed in 1793, the buildings were used by several military groups as a hospital, a jail, soldier quarters, and to store military supplies. -
Mission San Jose y San Miguel de Aguayo
The Indians helped dig 15 miles of irrigation ditches to bring water to the farms of the five San Antonio missions. -
Mission Nuestra Senora del Espíritu Santo de Zuniga
The mission and the presidio that was built nearby became known as La Bahia Mission, and is one of the oldest and most successful missions in Texas -
Mission San Juan Capistrano
By 1762, the Indians living in the mission village were raising more than 3,000 head of sheep and cattle.