On this day in history...

So today is Juneteenth, the oldest celebration to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States on the day that Union troops set foot on Galveston Island in 1865, and finally convinced the people of Texas that the Civil War was actually over. Forget the fact that President Lincoln actually invoked the official end of slavery in the United States with his Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. And don't worry that the war itself ended with the surrender of General Robert E. Lee to Ulysses S. Grant on April 9, 1965. Apparently, Texans didn't get the message.

Yup, Texas is one stubborn state, yet seems to have such a strong influence on American history. And it's not even limited to the U.S.--take a look at the WORLDWIDE Juneteenth celebrations organized across the globe. Even people in Taiwan are celebrating the end of slavery. Who knew?