1. In 1835, the Second Seminole War began in Florida. The conflict lasted for seven years and resulted in the removal of most Native Americans from the state.

2. In 1919, the first commercial flight in Florida took place. A pilot flew from St. Petersburg to Tampa with a passenger in a seaplane.

3. In 1969, the USS Enterprise, the world's first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, was commissioned in Jacksonville. It served in the Vietnam War and the war in Afghanistan.

4. In 1978, a major blackout hit the state, affecting most of South Florida. Over a million people were left without power, and looting and violence broke out in some areas.

5. In 1996, the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando opened Blizzard Beach, its third water park. The park features water slides, a lazy river, and a wave pool, all themed around a fictional ski resort that melts in the Florida sun.