Houston is the most populous city in Texas and the fourth-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 6,313,158 people in its metro area in 2010. The city was founded by two New York real estate businessmen on 28 August 1836, and it was named for General Sam Houston, a hero of the Texas Revolution who had defeated Mexico at the Battle of San Jacinto 25 miles east of Houston's location. The city became a major port and a railroad hub, and the 1901 discovery of oil in the area led to Houston's rapid growth. Houston became one of the wealthiest and diverse cities in America, and it became home to NASA's Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center.
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