1) In 1539, Hernando de Soto discovered Tampa Bay, Florida after exploring the western coast of the state for four months.
2) On May 30, 1868, the first Memorial Day was observed in Florida at the St. Augustine National Cemetery to honor Union soldiers who died during the Civil War.
3) In 1911, the Miami Metropolis newspaper published its first edition. It later became known as The Miami Herald and is now one of the largest newspapers in Florida.
4) On May 30, 1933, the iconic Bok Tower Gardens was dedicated in Lake Wales, Florida. This beautiful garden features a 205-foot singing tower with 60 bells that play music daily.
5) In 2011, Space Shuttle Endeavour launched on its final mission, STS-134, from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This mission was significant because it delivered the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-2, a particle physics experiment, to the International Space Station.