Come and Take It

Guitar master, bearded wizard, and bonafide car nut. Today we’re talking about the legendary Texan guitarist and front man for ZZ Top.

A snooty French diplomat, a surly Texas innkeeper, and pack of rampaging pigs. A dangerous combination that nearly cost Texas its independence.

They were the most notorious outlaws of the Great Depression, known both for their violent crime spree as well as their scandalous public image. Their names have gone on to be forever linked to the image of young criminals in love.

From 1942 to 1944, Texas was home to one of the most remarkable programs in the history of the Second World War. Hundreds of young women from all walks of life were trained in airfields in Houston and West Texas to become the first women to fly military aircraft in American history, as the Women’s Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs).

She was called the greatest woman athlete, excelling at every sport she tried from track to golf. From the 1930s until the 1950s, she set records, broke barriers, and became one of the famous women in America.

He was a business executive and radio star who managed to parlay his fame into the Texas Governor’s Mansion and the U.S. Senate. He also became the only person who defeated LBJ in an election. This week we look at the life and career of W. Lee Pappy O’Daniel.

Once a sports sensation who put competitive cycling on the map of American culture, Lance Armstrong would eventually be known as the man who perpetrated one of the biggest doping scandals in athletic history. For better or worse, it was a sad end to the story of Texas' greatest cyclist.

In 1968, the city of San Antonio enacted a remarkable program to transform their historic city into a modern tourist destination by hosting a fabulous World’s Fair. Today we talk about the history of HemisFair '68.

This March marks the 223 anniversary of the birth of the greatest figure in Texas history, Sam Houston. Last year we did an extensive three part series on his life, but this year we’ll take a look at the remarkable lives of his eight children.

He was a career naval officer who had risen through the ranks of the US Navy to become the architect of victory against the Japanese in the Pacific. He was a pioneer in submarine operations and eventually commanded the largest naval force in history. But before all that, he was a small town boy from the Texas Hill Country whose grandfather instilled him with a love for the sea.