Happy Texas Independence Day!

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It's been 180 years since the adoption of the Texas Declaration of Independence on March 2, 1836, marking our state's independence from Mexico. 

While nine years later the Republic of Texas was annexed to the United States by a joint resolution of the U.S. Congress, people across the Lone Star State still mark Texas Independence Day.

One of the more unique celebrations occurs at the University of Texas in Austin and we got footage from the 1960s of students celebrating, including the Texas Cowboys and "Smokey".

If you can't see the video below, you can watch it on our YouTube page here.

Since we're FOX 7, here are seven fun facts about the Texas Declaration of Independence and Texas Independence Day:

1. George C. Childress is widely considered the author of the Texas Declaration of Independence  
2. 60 people, including Sam Houston, signed the Texas Declaration of Independence  
3. Jose Antonio Navarro (for whom both Navarro County and Corsicana are named) was one of three Hispanics (two of whom were Tejanos) to sign the Texas Declaration of Independence  
4. The Texas Declaration of Independence was adopted at the Convention of 1836 at Washington-on-the-Brazos  
5. Texas Flag Day and Sam Houston Day are also celebrated on March 2. Houston was born on March 2.  
6. After the declaration was signed, five copies were made and dispatched to Bexar, Goliad, Nacogdoches, Brazoria and San Felipe.  
7. Of those five copies only one remains. It was found at the U.S. State Department in 1896 and is now at the Texas State Archives in Austin.  

Facts from Texas A&M University Kingsville and Texas State Library.