Happy Birthday, Texas! On this day in 1836, Texas declared its independence from Mexico and declared itself a Republic.

To commemorate this grand occasion of one of the best states– the best if you’re a Texan– we’ve made a list of fun facts about the Lone Star State.

– The Texas Declaration of Independence was signed by a convention at Washington-on-the-Brazos.

– Texas became the 28th state on Dec. 29, 1845

– Texas is also known as the “Lone Star State”

– Texas’ Lone Star flag became the state’s official flag on January 24, 1839

– Six countries have controlled some or all of Texas at some point:  Spain (1519–1821); France (1685–1690); Mexico (1821–1836); the Republic of Texas (1836–1845); the Confederate States of America (1861–1865); and the United States of America (1845–1861; 1865–present).

–  Only one of the original five copies of the Texas Declaration of Independence remains; it was found at the U.S. State Department in 1896 and now resides in the Texas State Archives in Austin.

–  The men defending the Alamo never knew that Texas had declared independence.

–  Only two of the 59 who signed the Texas Declaration of Independence, – Jose Francisco Ruiz and Jose Antonio Navarro – were native Texans, according to the Star of the Republic Museum.

– In 1836, Sam Houston became the first president of the of Republic Texas.

– The Republic of Texas lasted nine years, eleven months, and seventeen days,