Texas' Historical Milestones On This Day May 12th

May 12th in 1889, the Missouri Pacific Hospital in Fort Worth was dedicated as St. Joseph's Infirmary, marking a new chapter in the city's healthcare history. The hospital would later become known as St. Joseph's Hospital in 1930.

Fast forward to 1903, when the iconic song "The Eyes of Texas" was first performed at the Hancock Opera House in Austin. The song's debut was part of a minstrel show that raised funds for the University of Texas track team.

In 1926, commercial aviation took off in Texas with the launch of air mail service between Dallas-Fort Worth and Chicago. This marked a new era of transportation in the Lone Star State.

Moving to 1942, construction began on a German prisoner of war camp northeast of Huntsville, highlighting Texas's role in World War II.

In more recent history, in 2003, fifty-nine Democratic lawmakers in Texas went into hiding in protest of a congressional redistricting plan proposed by Republicans.