FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Austin, TX – Join the Texas Center for the Book on Monday, March 10 from 2 to 3 p.m. (CT) for #TXBookChat LIVE: Texas on This Day: 500 Years of History with author Gary Vliet. A conversation with Texas Center for the Book Coordinator Michele Chan Santos will be followed by an audience Q&A session and book signing opportunity.

Gary Vliet, PhD, is Professor Emeritus at The University of Texas at Austin. He grew up in Alberta, Canada, and studied and worked in California before joining the faculty of mechanical engineering at UT, where he taught for 35 years. 

About the book: From Cabeza de Vaca's shipwreck in 1528 through the Texas Revolution to present day ... almost 500 years of recorded history ... a myriad of significant events in Texas history have occurred (political, cultural, sporting, meteorological, criminal, tragic and amusing). These events are arranged by day of the year to allow the reader to see 'into the past' on any specific day.

His other publications, besides a number of technical papers, are a book on solar energy and a book on the history of the UT Department of Mechanical Engineering. From his 40-plus years in Austin and the research for this book, he has gained a broad knowledge of Texas history.

Texas on This Day: 500 Years of History was first published in 2015; a new, updated edition was published in February 2025. Books will not be for sale on site, Texas on This Day is available at local bookstores and online retailers.

Attendees may RSVP online at: https://bit.ly/TXBookChat_Vliet.

Hosted in the Public Event Space at the Lorenzo de Zavala State Archives and Library Building located in the Capitol Complex, 1201 Brazos St. in Austin, this event is free and open to the public. Parking is available at the Capitol Visitors Parking Garage across the street. Additional parking options, including handicapped parking, along with directions and maps, is available on TSLAC’s website at www.tsl.texas.gov/visit. 

Named a National Literary Landmark, the Lorenzo de Zavala State Archives and Library Building located directly east of the Texas Capitol. View the six flags flown over Texas, six Texas seal mosaics and the panoramic Texas history mural in the lobby. 

The Texas Center for the Book’s #TXBookChat series has provided a platform for discussions with authors, librarians and literary professionals since 2020. These informal events offer a quick look into different aspects of the state’s literary world while bringing together a variety of voices and perspectives. For more information, and to view videos of past events, visit the website at www.tsl.texas.gov/txbookchat.

One of 50 state centers affiliated with the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, the Texas Center for the Book is under the direction of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

For more information, contact Michele Chan Santos at mcsantos@tsl.texas.gov or visit www.tsl.texas.gov/centerforthebook.

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The Texas State Library and Archives Commission provides Texans access to the information they need to be informed, productive citizens by preserving the archival record of Texas; enhancing the service capacity of public, academic and school libraries; assisting public agencies in the maintenance of their records; and meeting the reading needs of Texans with disabilities. For more information, visit www.tsl.texas.gov.