Can Texas Secede From the U.S., and Other Curious Texas Facts for Texas Independence Day

Happy Friday, Curious Texans! Texas Independence Day is Saturday. In honor of this day, we've collected our top 10 Curious Texas stories with fun Texas information and history that you can share with your friends and family this weekend: 1. Why is Texas the Lone Star State? To understand our Lone Star history, you have to first know the six flags of Texas, or nations that have controlled Texas over time: France, Spain, Mexico, the Republic of Texas, the United States and the Confederacy. 2. Does Texas actually have the right to secede from the United States? Maybe it's our history as an independent republic, but the idea of a "Texit" seems ever-popular among some in the state. 3. Why is Texas so big --and why are we so obsessed with its size? The sky is blue; water is wet; Texas is very, very big. In the casual language of subconscious association, Texas is bigness itself. 4. Is it illegal to pick Texas bluebonnets? Many Texans believe this, but is it a myth, or is it fiction? 5. How did that Texas city get such a weird name and how do you pronounce it? It's easy for native and non-native Texans to get confused by some of Texas' more unique place names. Bexar sounds like "bear." Gruene is pronounced like the color. And don't get us started on Pflugerville. 6. Where have all the horny toads gone? Call them horny toads, horned frogs, Phrynosoma cornutum or the Texas horned lizard, the state reptile is in dire straits. For several decades, they've been vanishing from Texas landscapes for reasons researchers cannot fully explain. 7. Why did Texas have a poll tax, and when did it end? Poll taxes in America, particularly in Southern states, date to the Reconstruction era of the mid-19th century. 8. Why don't Texas homes have basements? When Texans think basements, they don't often think they'll find them in Texas. Unlike many northern regions of the United States, homes in the Lone Star State don't typically have these underground-level floors. 9. Whatever happened to Dublin Dr Pepper? The beverage was a sweeter beverage than the Dr Pepper you could get at the nearby grocery store, and any Texan would tell you it tasted downright better. But that changed in 2012.10. What's the most temperatures across Texas have varied in one day? Texas is known for for its inconsistent weather. It can be sunny one moment and start pouring the next. Temperatures can also take drastic turns. This is why the saying "If you don't like the weather in Texas, wait five minutes and it'll change" is so popular.Tell us: What do you wonder about the culture, people and institutions of North Texas -- and the rest of our great state? Help us investigate stories that matter to you.  Continue reading...