1528-1777
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1528 11/6/1528 Cabeza de Vaca is shipwrecked on the coast at Matagorda Bay, and begins a journey across the land that marks the white man's first exploration of Texas.
1540 4/22/1540 The Coronado Expedition begins its journey to Texas in search of the seven cities of Cibola.
1541 5/23/1541 Coronado gives thanks for having found friendly Indians in the Palo Duro Canyon and in Texas celebrates a Thanksgiving 79 years before the Pilgrims.
1554 9/22/1554 Fourteen years after setting out for Texas, Coronado dies, being one of the first white men to explore Texas, and leader of one of 20 Spanish explorations of the area.
1687 1/13/1687 The French explorer, La Salle, leaves Matagorda Bay (near Houston) on foot toward Canada.
1687 2/25/1687 LaSalle and his followers become lost while searching for the Mississippi River, after leaving his fort in East Texas.
1687 3/20/1687 La Salle, a French explorer, instead of finding his destination, the mouth of the Mississippi, lands in Texas.
1689 4/14/1689 Alonso De Leon, Spanish Governor of Coahuila, discovers and names the Guadalupe River.
1689 4/22/1689 Spanish explorer Alonso De Leon discovers ruins of French settlement on Garcitas Creek near the Texas coast.
1690 5/24/1690 The Mission San Francisco de Ios Tejas is established in east Texas.
1690 6/1/1690 San Francisco de los Tejas, the first Spanish mission in Texas, is consecrated just west of the Neches River, [now Houston County] about 25 miles from the present town of Crockett.
1693 5/3/1693 Gregorio de Salinas Varona leads an expedition into Texas, which subsequently reports that the land is unsuitable for settlement, and one year later Spain abandons the Texas Frontier.
1699 6/24/1699 San Juan Bautista Mission is established.
1707 3/9/1707 The Ramon Expedition enters Texas, across the Rio Grande.
1714 8/22/1714 Spanish authorities in Mexico City decide to reestablish the mission in Texas, following the failed Fort St. Louis French colony.
1716 6/24/1716 Soldiers of the Ramon expedition stage the first horse race in Texas to celebrate the feast of St. John.
1716 7/2/1716 The Spanish build a presidio west of the Neches River, which marks the beginning of continuous settlement in the province of Texas.
1718 5/1/1718 The Mission San Antonio de Valero (the Alamo) is established.
1719 5/20/1719 As a result of war between France and Spain, Bernard De La Harpe, intending to drive out Spanish missionaries and settlers, invades Texas from Louisiana beginning the 'Chicken War.'
1721 3/20/1721 Aguayo expedition enters Texas in order to re-occupy East Texas.
1726 8/6/1726 Missionary Antonio Margil de Jesus dies.
1731 3/5/1731 The Mission San Francisco de la Espada is founded at San Antonio.
1731 3/9/1731 55 Canary Islanders arrive in San Antonio to start their new life on the continent, establishing San Antonio as a civil settlement in Texas.
1762 7/1/1762 The oldest recorded cattle brand is granted by the Spanish governor of the Mexican province of Texas
1766 9/4/1766 The first recorded hurricane strikes the Texas coast near Galveston.
1772 9/10/1772 New regulations for Presidios are issued by Spain which changes frontier line of Texas.
1777 12/13/1777 Spanish mapping crew sails along Texas coastline.