Portrait of William B. Travis

Birthday profile

William B. Travis

William B. Travis, American colonel and lawyer (died 1836)

Born
August 1, 1809
Died
March 6, 1836
Zodiac sign
Leo
Birth year
1809

About William B. Travis

William Barret "Buck" Travis (August 1, 1809 – March 6, 1836) was a Texian Army officer and lawyer. He is known for helping set the Texas Revolution in motion during the Anahuac disturbances and defending the Alamo Mission during the battle of the Alamo. During the Mexican siege of the Alamo, Travis wrote a letter pleading for reinforcements that became known as the "Victory or Death" letter. When Travis and the defenders were defeated, killed, and burned by Santa Anna's army, it made him a martyr, and battle cry, for the cause of Texas independence. It is considered one of the most notable last stands in history. The battle cry of "Remember the Alamo" became the official motto of Texas from 1836 to 1930 and remains on the state seal. The Alamo is the number one tourist destination in Texas, a National Landmark, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Fort Travis, Travis Park, Travis County, Lake Travis, Travis High School, Travis Early College High School, Travis Science Academy, William B. Travis Building (Austin), and 12 elementary schools are named in his honor. Travis, who was in possession of the Travis family Bible at the time of his statement, indicated that William was born on the first.

Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.

The world when William B. Travis was born

William B. Travis was born in 1809. The year snapshot below places that birthday in its cultural and historical setting: the music and films people were following, the headlines shaping public life, and the everyday prices families encountered.

Headlines and milestones

  • Top headlineJames Madison inaugurated as 4th President
  • Technology milestoneFirst canning factory opens in England
  • World population~945M

United States snapshot

  • U.S. leaderJames Madison
  • U.S. population7.2M

1809 versus 2026

These figures put everyday life in William B. Travis's birth year beside the site's latest United States snapshot.

Measure18092026
Population7.2M341 million

Sources and editorial standards

This profile combines a biographical source with structured birthday and historical context. Sources recorded for this profile: Wikipedia, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Library of Congress, Wikidata. See our editorial policy for sourcing, corrections, and review standards.

Read the source biography on Wikipedia. Wikipedia text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.