who is the city of houston named after
Houston Houston was founded on August 30, 1836, near the banks of Buffalo Bayou (now known as Allen's Landing)[9][10] and incorporated as a city on June 5, 1837. The city was named after former General Sam Houston, who was president of the Republic of Texas and had commanded and won at the Battle of San Jacinto 25 miles (40 km) east of where the city was established.[10] The burgeoning port and railroad industry, combined with oil discovery in 1901, has induced continual surges in the city's population. In the mid-20th century, Houston became the home of the Texas Medical Center—the world's largest concentration of healthcare and research institutions—and NASA's Johnson Space Center, where the Mission Control Center is located.
Sylvester Turner Sylvester Turner (born September 27, 1954) is an American attorney and politician who is the 62nd and current mayor of Houston, Texas. A member of the Democratic Party, Turner was previously a member of the Texas House of Representatives from 1989 until 2016. He is Houston's second African American mayor. Turner attended the University of Houston and Harvard Law School.[1] Turner ran for mayor of Houston in 1991, losing in the runoff election to Bob Lanier. He lost again in 2003, falling in third place and thus missing out on the runoff.[2][3]