Whereas in 1718, the Mission San Antonio de Valero, the Presidio San Antonio de Bejar, and the Villa de Bejar were founded in the area that would become the City of San Antonio (referred to in this preamble as San Antonio ); Whereas in 1821, San Antonio became a part of the Mexican empire; Whereas in the Battle of the Alamo in 1836, Mexican forces led by General Lopez de Santa Anna stormed the Alamo and more than 200 United States colonists, Texians, and Tejanos died defending the future State of Texas; Whereas in 1836, the new government of the State of Texas formed the county government of Bexar, and made San Antonio the county seat of Bexar; Whereas in 1837, by action of the City Council, Ciudad San Antonio de Bejar was officially renamed the City of San Antonio; Whereas the United States Army post at San Antonio was established in 1865, and is known today as Fort Sam Houston; Whereas in 1877, the first passenger train of the renamed Galveston, Harrisburg, and San Antonio railroad arrived in San Antonio; Whereas Brooks Air Force Base was built in 1917 in San Antonio and operated until closure in 2011; Whereas Kelly Field, also known as Kelly Air Force Base, was founded in 1917 and operated until 2001, making it the oldest continuously operating air base in the United States; Whereas in 1931, Randolph Air Force Base began operating as a training facility in San Antonio and is now part of Joint Base San Antonio; Whereas in 1941, Lackland Air Force Base began operating as a training facility in San Antonio and is now part of Joint Base San Antonio; Whereas in 1968, San Antonio hosted a 6-month international exposition known as HemisFair ’68 , which welcomed more than 6,000,000 visitors from across the world; Whereas in 1973, San Antonio received the first and only major professional sports team of the city, the San Antonio Spurs, which has won a total of 5 National Basketball Association championships