On May 13, 1846, the U.S. Congress overwhelmingly voted in favor
of President James K. Polk’s request to declare war on Mexico in a dispute over Texas.

Under the threat of war, the United States had refrained from
annexing Texas after the latter won independence from Mexico in
1836. But in 1844, President John Tyler restarted negotiations with
the Republic of Texas, culminating with a Treaty of Annexation.

The treaty was defeated by a wide margin in the Senate because it
would upset the slave state/free state balance between North and
South and risked war with Mexico, which had broken off relations
with the United States. But shortly before leaving office and with
the support of President-elect Polk, Tyler managed to get the joint resolution passed on March 1, 1845. Texas was admitted to the
Union on December 29. 

James Knox Polk
(November 2, 1795 – June 15, 1849)

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Irving Berlin
(May 11, 1888 – September 22, 1989)

Irving Berlin was a American composer, songwriter
and lyricist. His music forms a great part of the
Great American Songbook.

^]Diet Rite is a brand of no-calorie soft drinks that was originally distributed by the RC Cola company..

Diet Rite was introduced in 1958 and initially released as a dietetic product, but was introduced nationwide and marketed to the
general public as a healthful beverage in 1962.

Bono (Paul David Hewson)  

Born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, Bono is the lead vocalist and
primary lyricist of the rock band U2. He has received 22 Grammy
Awards and has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of
Fame.

On May 10, 1869, the presidents of the Union Pacific and Central
Pacific railroads met in Promontory, Utah, and drive a ceremonial
last spike into a rail line that connects their railroads. This made transcontinental railroad travel possible for the first time in U.S.
history. No longer would western-bound travelers need to take
the long and dangerous journey by wagon train.