MARCH 1993
Spring break in Galveston, Shaq’s debut highlight old photos from Houston 30 years ago

Updated: 10 a.m. March 30, 2023

THE ROOKIE
The Orlando Magic's Shaquille O'Neal makes his first appearance as a pro in Houston on March 16 at the Summit. Of course, we had to get a photo of him with Hakeem Olajuwon.

NEW ATTRACTION
Workers at AstroWorld were busy this month installing Batman The Escape, the newest rollercoaster at the theme park. The ride would remain at the park until its closure in 2005.

THE FILMMAKER
Spike Lee puts in an appearance at Texas Southern University, March 3. He gave a lecture on his career to about 1,800 elementary, high school and college students.

BEACH SCENES
A few scenes from spring break 1993 in Galveston, March 20.

THE BIG SAX ON RICHMOND
The 63-foot sax at Billy Blues, which city officials say must go, was created by Santa Fe, N.M., artist Bob Wade. He arranged cattle troughs, beer kegs, canoes, hubcaps, car bumpers and steel pipe in his musical memorial, March 16.

THE FUNERAL
Though the world was watching the standoff at the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, there were a couple of Houston connections. On March 5, funeral services were held at Houston's Second Baptist Church for Steven D. Willis, an Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agent who was gunned down during the raid on the compound in Waco.

THE FAMILY
Branch Davidian leader David Koresh was born in Houston. Here, grandmother Jean Holub talks about her grandson with her daughter on March 1. "I think he will stay there until they kill him," she told the Chronicle.

THE GAME
Henri Klok produced his first Houston board game, the Great Houston Board Game, in 1991 and at the time was working on three new games. Klok says his game is superior to Monopoly because it gives players a better chance to come from behind and win. Photographed on March 1.

THE GREAT HOUSTON MATTRESS RACE
The Mattress Mamas -- from left, Renee Walkers, Ruth Sanders, Vivian John and Betty Jacobs -- push their way toward the finish line in the Gallery Furniture Great Houston Mattress Race on March 21 at Delmar Stadium. The team won "best overall" in the 29-team race, which raised money to benefit the ESCAPE Center of Houston, an organization to prevent child abuse. What follows are more images from the race.

THE NEW CREW
Sam Malone and Maria Todd, the new drive-time crew at KRBE, on March 18.

THE TOAST
A wreath-laying ceremony celebrates the 44th anniversary of the opening of the Shamrock Hotel, March 17. Former Shamrock employees drink a St. Patrick's Day toast to the demolished hotel at its site at South Main and Holcombe. From left are William Hall, Tom Horan and Erik Worscheh. The hotel opened with great fanfare in 1949 but was torn down in 1987.

THE HOTEL'S NEW OWNER
The Days Inn hotel in downtown Houston is purchased by a group led by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the former spiritual adviser to the Beatles. The 31-story hotel was to be used as a training center for the organization. By 1998, the fire marshal, citing fire hazards and building code violations, ordered residents to vacate the building, which was then called the Downtown Plaza Hotel. It has sat vacant ever since.

THE NEW MALL
Roger L. Galatas, left, president and chief operating officer of The Woodlands Corp.; Donald R. Andrus, Foley's chairman; Richard Welcome, executive vice president of Homart Development; and George Mitchell, chairman and president of Mitchell Energy and Development, look at a map of the site of The Woodlands Mall on March 12. Mall construction had begun by this point.

THE CELEBRITIES
Wynonna Judd, Mary Chapin Carpenter and Brooks & Dunn were just some of the musicians who played at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo 30 years ago this month.

State Rep. Ron Wilson, D-Houston, played at the city's first Party on the Plaza concert of the spring season. In the following photos, famed chef Julia Child celebrated her 80th birthday at a dinner here, Shane Obedzinski and Victor DiMattia from the film "The Sandlot" dropped by, tennis superstar Jennifer Capriati signed autographs at the Oshman's Supersports USA on Gessner, and the Bushes welcomed Margaret Thatcher to their home.

THE STORE CLOSING
It's the last days at Mr. Peabody's eclectic clothing store at 1609 Westheimer. The band Duck Butter performs outside to spring break/St. Patrick's Day revelers, March 17.