December 22 in San Antonio history…

1836
On December 22, 1836, the new Texas government form the county government of Bexar, with San Antonio as its County Seat.

1946
The Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo performs at the Municipal Auditorium.

1985
Ceremonies mark the return of the Hertzberg Clock to its rightful place at St. Mary’s and Houston streets after a three-year refurbishing and repainting project.

November 21 in San Antonio history…

(photo from JB-Randolph AFB, San Antonio, Texas)

1963
President and Mrs. John F. Kennedy are in San Antonio to dedicate the Aerospace Medical Health Center at Brooks Air Force Base. He is assassinated in Dallas the following day.

1982
James Whitcomb Riley Middle School is officially renamed Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School in ceremonies taking place 25 years and two days after its original dedication.

1985
A city ordinance bans BASE jumping from the Tower of the Americas.  Skydivers who carry parachutes into the observation deck area and jump or attempt to jump will be subject to a $200 fine in Municipal Court.

November 2 in San Antonio history…

1949
Lt. Gen. Leslie Groves, head of the Manhattan Project to develop the atomic bomb, gives a speech entitled, “The Future of Atomic Energy” at San Pedro Playhouse.

1976
The Eagles bring their Hotel California tour to Convention Center Arena.
J. D. Souther opens.

1987
Richard Marx comes to the Alamo City for the first time and plays a concert at Sneakers.  At the time of the show, his second single “Should’ve Known Better” is climbing the charts at #14.

2000
Dan Cook announces that he is stepping down as sports anchor on KENS Channel 5.  His last broadcast will be November 30.

September 27 in San Antonio history…

1865
August Siemering and H. Pollmar begin publishing the San Antonio Express as a weekly with a subscription price of $6 a year. It’s printed on the press of Siemering’s other paper, the German-language Freie Presse für Texas, in offices at 138 E. Commerce St. The paper is tabloid-size with five-column pages and advertising on the front. The first editor is Judge William E. “Fiery” Jones.

1868
The cornerstone of the newly renovated San Fernando Cathedral is laid.

1985
At about 10:27 p.m., four unidentified parachutists climb the security bars and jump from the observation deck of the Tower of the Americas.  The 622-foot jump takes 6.5 seconds.  After landing, the jumpers get into two cars and speed away.

August 23 in San Antonio history…

1952
With no rain predicted for the weekend, August is making a serious bid for a record drought. This is the longest August period without a trace of precipitation in 20 years or more, said weatherman Oren Edrington.

1958
The newest and biggest addition to the San Antonio Public Library’s fleet of four bookmobiles went into service today.  The green and cream bookmobile, complete with a stork emblem indicating its new arrival, went into service at the Sunset Ridge Shopping Center.

1985
Brooke Shields appears at Dillard’s in Ingram Park Mall to promote her new collection of Brooke Shields Jeanswear.

August 7 in San Antonio history…

1959
Paid parking goes into operation at the International Airport.  Prices are 10 cents for the first 30 minutes, 25 cents for three hours, 50 cents for up to 12 hours and $1 for up to 24 hours.

1985
“Pee Wee’s Big Adventure,” starring Pee Wee Herman, debuts in San Antonio as a sneak preview at the Central Park Fox and Galaxy theaters.

1993
Kroger closes all 15 San Antonio grocery store locations.

March 10 in San Antonio history…

1949
The Alameda Theater on Houston Street (right) holds its grand opening.

1985
A week-long series of Irish themed events kicks off with a convoy of green-bedecked barges spewing green dye into the San Antonio River.  The special guest is Thomas Crotty, Lord Mayor of Kilkenny, Ireland.

1990
Appraisers from the South Texas Chapter of the International Society of Appraisers offer their expertise at the Witte Museum.  The public is invited to bring in artifacts and antiques to find out their worth for a charge of $4 per object for museum members and $5 for non-members.

February 25 in San Antonio history…

1909
Baylor University brings its basketball team to San Antonio to play four games in two days in order to stake its claim as the best basketball team in the state of Texas.  The Bears hope to play Main Avenue High School, the YMCA, Fort Sam Houston and Turners teams.  They are only able to schedule the first three teams and only defeat the Fort Sam Houston team (35-18), losing to the high school (17-24) and YMCA (34-36) teams.

1942
Trinity University, a Presbyterian institution in Waxahachie, agrees to relocate to San Antonio and merge with the University of San Antonio, a Methodist university.

1985
Due to a dispute over the teams failure to provide sideline passes and parking permits, the San Antonio Gunslinger mascot quits and walks out of the stadium in the fourth quarter of the Gunslingers’ game vs. Memphis.

February 24 in San Antonio history…

1928
Radio station KTSA (“Kum To San Antonio”) goes on the air.

1984
Henry Mancini conducts the San Antonio Symphony in the newly renamed Lila Cockrell Theater for the Performing Arts.  In a ceremony earlier in the day, the theater is renamed from the Hemisfair Theater for the Performing Arts to honor the former mayor of San Antonio.

1985
San Antonians are given their first look at the newly refurbished Municipal Auditorium after completion of a two-year renovation project.  The building was gutted in 1979 by a fire started by a workman’s cigarette.

January 25 in San Antonio history…

1925
St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Church announces plans for a new sanctuary at St. Mary’s and Ashby.

1980
After many complaints, the statue of St. Anthony de Padua has been placed on a new pedestal along the Riverwalk.  The statue, a gift to the city from Portugal for Hemisfair, was removed from his original location near the Marriott hotel and carelessly laid upon a concrete slab without protection while construction was taking place in the area.

1985
Ground is broken on the new 239,000 square-foot campus of Texas Military Institute located near Camp Bullis.  Scheduled to open in the fall of 1986, the 60-acre site will include a chapel, media center, computer center, classroom centers, athletic fields, a student center, a fieldhouse/gymnasium/natatorium, residence units for 150 boarders, a fine arts center with a 500-seat theater and administrative staff homes.