1. The first European settlement in what is now Pensacola, Florida, was established on January 26, 1699 by Spanish explorer Don Tristan de Luna.

2. On January 26, 1837, Osceola, a prominent leader of the Seminole tribe, was captured by U.S. troops in Florida during the Second Seminole War. The war would continue for several more years, and would be the most costly Indian war in American history, both in terms of money and lives lost.

3. The first railroad in Florida began operations on January 26, 1836, when the Tallahassee Railroad Company opened a 22-mile line between Tallahassee and St. Marks. The railroad was primarily used to transport cotton and other agricultural products to ports on the Gulf of Mexico.

4. On January 26, 1900, the Great Miami Hurricane struck southern Florida, causing extensive damage and killing an estimated 2,500 people. The hurricane remains one of the deadliest natural disasters in U.S. history.

5. January 26, 1972 was the date of the final launch of Apollo 17, which was the last manned lunar mission conducted by NASA. The mission marked the end of the Apollo program, and to date, no humans have returned to the moon.