Texas Seven Flee Prison: A Deadly Crime Spree Unfolds
Seven inmates overpowered guards, stole 16 rifles, and walked out of a Texas maximum-security prison on December 13th wearing stolen prison uniforms. They'd planned for months. The guards they left behind were bound with duct tape in an electrical room. For six weeks, the Texas Seven robbed stores across the state — until they hit an Oshman's sporting goods shop on Christmas Eve. Officer Aubrey Hawkins, working security, confronted them. They shot him 11 times, then ran him over. Hawkins was 29, married eight months. Six of the seven were captured within weeks on *America's Most Wanted*. The seventh killed himself during arrest. Four got death sentences.
December 13, 2000
26 years ago
What Else Happened on December 13
Robert Guiscard's forces force Salerno's surrender, shattering Norman control over southern Italy and leaving only the citadel under Duke Gisulf's stubborn defe…
An 85-year-old hermit who lived in a cave, ate roots, and hadn't seen Rome in decades became Pope in July 1294. Pietro del Morrone never wanted it. Cardinals ch…
Catholic bishops and theologians convened in Trent to launch a sweeping institutional overhaul in response to the Protestant Reformation. By codifying core doct…
The last priest arrived three years late. Paul III called the council in 1542, but wars between France and the Holy Roman Empire kept delaying it. When bishops …
Sir Francis Drake departed Plymouth with five ships, initiating the second circumnavigation of the globe in history. By returning three years later with a hold …
Twelve men deciding guilt or innocence — the English brought it, but Plymouth made it stick first. Not in Jamestown, where martial law still ruled. Not in Massa…
Talk to History
Have a conversation with historical figures who witnessed this era. Ask questions, explore perspectives, and bring history to life.