1. In 1918, the first movie theater opened in Miami Beach. The theater, called the Capitol Theatre, seated up to 1,200 people and showed silent films.

2. In 1958, the first meeting of the Florida Citrus Commission was held in Lakeland. The commission was created to promote and market Florida's citrus industry.

3. In 1978, the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in Tampa Bay was dedicated. The bridge spans 6.7 miles and is one of the longest cable-stayed bridges in the world.

4. In 1987, the Miami Heat played their first NBA preseason game against the Seattle SuperSonics. The Heat joined the NBA as an expansion team that year.

5. In 1995, Hurricane Opal made landfall on the Florida Panhandle. The Category 3 storm caused extensive damage and resulted in 63 deaths.