1. In 1827, Major William Lauderdale, who had been assigned to survey the area now known as Fort Lauderdale, set up a base at the New River to establish a military post. This would later lead to the establishment of the city of Fort Lauderdale.

2. In 1891, John F. Kennedy visited Palm Beach, Florida, for the first time with his parents. This began a lifelong love affair between the Kennedy family and the state of Florida.

3. In 1917, the Miami area experienced a devastating tornado that caused extensive damage and loss of life. The tornado was one of the most powerful in Florida history and remains one of the deadliest tornadoes to ever hit the state.

4. In 1953, the USS Tarawa, the largest U.S. aircraft carrier of its time, was launched in Pascagoula, Mississippi. The ship was named after the Battle of Tarawa, which was fought by American forces in the Pacific during World War II. The ship was decommissioned in 2009 and scrapped in 2015.

5. In 1990, the Florida Senate voted to move the state capital from Tallahassee to Orlando. However, the proposal was ultimately rejected by the House of Representatives and the capital remained in Tallahassee.