Did HOU Know? is Houston City Beat’s quick-hit series of fun facts, hidden gems, and little-known stories about Houston’s people, places, and history. It’s your bite-sized way to discover something new about the city you call home.
Texas’s path from Mexican rule to the Republic and U.S. statehood was forged by settlers, Tejanos, and iconic battles. From Stephen Austin’s colonies to the Alamo and San Jacinto, the struggle shaped national debates over slavery and expansion, culminating in annexation on December 29, 1845.
In a recent episode of Let’s Talk on Houston City Beat, host Mike Acosta sat down with Rochella Cooper to revisit a bold chapter of Houston’s cultural history. Cooper shared her path to Houston, her leadership with the Houston Festival, and the story behind bringing Jean-Michel Jarre’s Rendez-Vous Houston: A City in Concert to life in 1986, an unforgettable spectacle that reflected the city’s resilience and honored the Space Shuttle Challenger astronauts.
As one strolls through Mercer Arboretum & Botanic Gardens, the serene calm that blankets this 393-acre sanctuary in Humble is striking. Founded by Thelma and Charles Mercer and preserved as a Harris County park since 1974, this botanical gem feels like a world apart from Houston’s hustle.
The Houston skyline saw a modern transformation that began in the early 1970s and continued through the 80s as several 50-plus story buildings were added in the downtown area. Among them were two supertall skyscrapers, which is considered to be any building 984 feet or taller in height.
