SAN ANTONIO – A murder mystery, a vicious fighting dog, a threatening tsunami, the key ingredient to the puffy taco, whistling and a clothing-optional beach.

What do all these things have in common?

The answer is they all are forever linked to the birth of the city of San Antonio.

KSAT 12 News anchor Ursula Pari will put her history buff persona on the job Wednesday at 7 p.m., and bring you the story of how San Antonio became a city.

You may think you know it already, but Ursula promises you probably don't.

This story goes far beyond the Alamo.

It's the story of 56 brave volunteers from the Canary Islands, who in 1731 at the request of the King of Spain crossed the Atlantic Ocean on a boat for nine months, bringing with them very specific skills and talents to start San Antonio's first civic government.

Ursula traveled to the Canary Islands with city leaders to see the special relationship San Antonio has with the people, the culture and the architecture.

The Canary Islands is a beautiful place, and the story of their contribution to San Antonio is something they are very proud of.

Now it's time for all of us here to hear the story, which may motivate tens of thousands of longtime San Antonians to look deeply into their family tree and see if their ancestors were also part of the small band of adventurous and talented Canary Islanders, who created one of the most culturally-important cities in the world.

The Canary Island Special is part of KSAT 12's SA 300 celebration. Watch the full special in the video above.