Learn Our History Today: February 1

 On this day in 1861, after a vote of 166 to 8 in favor of seceding, and against the objections of Governor Sam Houston, the state of Texas became the seventh to secede from the Union.

An in 1968, Richard Nixon announced his candidacy for the presidency.  This marked the second time Nixon ran for president; In 1960, he ran against John F. Kennedy.  Nixon went on to win the nomination on the first ballot at the Rebublican National Convention in Miami Beach and chose Maryland governor Spiro Agnew as his running mate.  Of course, Nixon went on to win the election later that year against his democratic opponent, Vice President Hubert Humphrey with a majority of Electoral College votes.