On this day, important chapters in Texas’ history

April 26, 1838: Sam Houston, the first president of the Republic of Texas, resigned from office. His resignation came after the Senate's refusal to ratify the Treaty of Velasco. Houston was succeeded by Mirabeau B. Lamar, who became the second president of the Republic of Texas.

April 26, 1865: A Confederate cavalry detachment under the command of Captain James Duff was defeated by Union forces near Brownsville, Texas. This skirmish, known as the Battle of Palmito Ranch, was one of the last military engagements of the American Civil War.

April 26, 1909: The Texas Oil Company, which later became Texaco, was established by Joseph S. Cullinan and Arnold Schlaet in Beaumont, Texas. The company eventually grew to become one of the largest and most influential oil corporations in the United States.