Stephen Austin was the first to establish an American colony in the Texas territory, an area that was owned and administered by the government of Mexico. He was an influential figure in the quest for the independence of Texas. Birthplace: Wythe County, Virginia.
Governor of Tennessee from 1827 to 1829, Sam Houston moved to Texas and became active in the battle against Mexico for the land. He served as the state's first president and was its first US senator when Texas joined the Union. Birthplace: Lexington, Virginia.
Taking office after the death of John Kennedy, Lyndon Baines Johnson instituted a number of aid and welfare programs. However, his term during office is also the term most closely associated with the Vietnam War. Birthplace: Stonewall.
Willie Nelson is a country singer whose well-written songs have crossed over to become hits on both the pop and country charts. After a long career of playing in small theaters and taverns, his music began to acquire mass audiences in the mid-Seventies. Two of his more famous songs are "On The Road Again" and "Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys." Birthplace: Forth Worth.
