Jacksonville, Florida
The USS “Florida” (BB-30), a dreadnought battleship, was commissioned into the United States Navy on this date in 1911. She was armed with a main battery of ten 12-inch guns, sixteen 5-inch guns, and two torpedo tubes. The USS Florida served during World War I Read More …
On this date in 1821 – The “Floridian, the first newspaper in northwest Florida, was established in Pensacola. Initially published by Nicholas & Tunstall, the first issue ran on August 18, 1821, with an account of Florida’s transfer to the United States. The second page Read More …
The Walt Disney World Resort officially opened on this date in 1971, including Magic Kingdom Park, Disney’s Contemporary Resort, Disney’s Polynesian Resort, and Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground. William Windsor, Jr. was the very first guest. Approximately 10,000 visitors showed up on opening day. Read More …
The Florida Historical Society 2022 Public History Forum and the 33rd Annual Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Society Conference are being presented together May 19-21, at the Hilton Conference Center in Gainesville. Registration for the conference is now open at myfloridahistory.org where you will also find a Read More …
Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali) defeated World Heavyweight Boxing Champion Sonny Liston in Miami Beach on this date in 1964. The fight was one of the most anticipated, watched, and controversial matches of all time. This first of two meetings between the two heavyweights was held Read More …
Orange County Sheriff David W. Mizell was shot and killed in an ambush while on his way to arrest cattleman Moses E. Barber near Holopaw, in what is now Osceola County, on this date in 1870. The ambush stemmed from earlier disagreements over the payment Read More …
Ronald Wayne “Ronnie” Van Zant, lead singer of the famous rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, was born in Jacksonville on this date in 1948. Raised in Jacksonville, Van Zant formed the band in 1964 with fellow classmates from Robert E. Lee High School. The band released Read More …
The 241-foot steel-hulled schooner, “Prinz Valdemar,” capsized inside the Miami ship channel on this date in 1926, blocking larger vessels from entering and exiting the port for over a month. The ship proved difficult to right due to her large masts. City officials began digging Read More …
Polk County native Lawton Chiles assumed his seat in the U.S. Senate on this date in 1974. Running one of the most unconventional campaigns in Florida history, a relatively unknown Chiles walked 1,003 miles, from Pensacola to Key West, meeting the Sunshine State’s constituents face Read More …
The Florida Senate officially “consented to and adopted” the first flag of the new state of Florida on this date in 1845. It was unfurled at Governor Moseley’s inauguration on June 25 of that year, even though the Senate objected to the motto, “Let Us Read More …
Eartha M. M. White hosted a children’s Christmas party at the Clara White Mission in Jacksonville on this date in 1963. This was one of many events and organizations that Miss White either supported or began throughout her long lifetime of humanitarian aid (she died Read More …
Construction began on the impressive Bay County Courthouse in Panama City on this date in 1914. Completed in 1915, the courthouse featured a large central clock tower and elaborate gabled roof. Unfortunately, in 1920 a fire gutted the building and a new, simpler Classical Revival-style Read More …
The home of John Ringling opened to the public on this date in 1946. Ringling was one of five brothers who owned and operated the Ringling Brothers Circus, known at the time as “The Greatest Show on Earth.” John Ringling became one of the wealthiest Read More …
Apollo 17, the final manned mission to the moon and the first night launch of a U.S. manned spacecraft, lifted off from Cape Canaveral on this date in 1972. Astronauts Eugene Cernan, Ronald Evans, and Harrison Schmitt spent twelve days in space, three of which Read More …
On this date in 1838 delegates from around Florida met at St. Joseph to draft a constitution and bill of rights for the Territory of Florida on this date. Robert R. Reid, future governor of the territory, presided over the convention. Delegates were broken into eighteen Read More …
Residents of Jacksonville experienced tremors from a small magnitude earthquake on this date in 1900. At 11:15 a.m. residents reported seismic activity that lasted no more than 10 seconds and caused little damage to city buildings. Although earthquakes are rare in Florida, a few quakes Read More …
The first Vela Hotel Satellites were launched from Cape Canaveral on this date in 1963. The Vela, short for “velador” (Spanish for watchman) was designed to detect and monitor nuclear explosions from anywhere on earth. The system was utilized after the 1963 Partial Test Ban Read More …
Apollo 7 was launched from Cape Canaveral on this date in 1967. Apollo 7 was the first manned mission in the United States Apollo space program, and the first manned U.S. space flight after a cabin fire killed the crew of what would have been Read More …