Florida History Timeline (Part 2)

Events 101 - 200 of 240

• 1966-11-22 32nd Heisman Trophy Award: Steve Spurrier, Florida (QB)
• 1967-06-11 Race riot in Tampa, Florida; National Guard mobilizes
• 1967-07-16 Prison brawl ignites barracks in Jay, Florida, killing 37

• 1968-02-19 1st US statewide teachers' strike begins in Florida [note: a two-day walk out in Utah in 1963 is considered first by some]
• 1968-08-08 Race riot in Miami, Florida

• 1969-05-27 Walt Disney World construction begins at Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, Florida
• 1969-08-30 Racial disturbances in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
• 1969-10-31 Eastside race riot in Jacksonville, Florida

• 1970-01-10 Preview Center opens at Walt Disney World, Florida - first building to open
• 1970-06-16 Race riots in Miami, Florida
• 1970-07-30 -Aug 5] Hurricane Celia, kills 31 in Cuba, Florida and Texas
• 1970-11-07 Race riots in Daytona Beach Florida
• 1971-06-16 Racial disturbance in Jacksonville, Florida
• 1971-10-01 Walt Disney World opens in Bay Lake, Florida
• 1972-07-10 Democratic convention opens in Miami Beach Florida (McGovern)

• 1973-10-23 19-year-old American tennis star Chris Evert retains her WTA Tour Championship at Boca Raton, Florida; beats Nancy Richey Gunter 6-3, 6-3 in the final
• 1974-04-01 Pioneer Hall opens at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground, Florida
• 1974-04-08 Discovery Island opens at Walt Disney World, Florida
• 1974-07-15 American TV news reporter Christine Chubbuck shoots herself live on WXLT-TV in Sarasota, Florida; first person to commit suicide in a live broadcast
• 1974-11-17 Bonnie Bryant becomes the only left-handed player in history to win an LPGA Tour event; scores a 3-stroke victory in the Bill Branch Golf Classic in Fort Myers, Florida
• 1974-12-05 1st World Football League Bowl, Birmingham Americans beat Florida
• 1975-06-09 Fire in prison hospital at Sanford, Florida, kills 10 prisoners and 1 guard
• 1975-07-01 WEDway People Mover opens in Tomorrowland, Disney World, Florida
• 1975-07-14 EPCOT Center (Florida) plans announced
• 1976-05-01 Empress Lilly, replica of a paddle steamer, dedicated at Walt Disney World, Florida
• 1977-01-19 Snow falls in Miami, Florida. This is the only time in the history of the city that snowfall has occurred. It also fell in the Bahamas.

• 1978-07-13 Walter Poenisch completes swim of 207 km from Cuba to Florida
• 1979-08-30 -Sept 13] Hurricane David, kills 1200 in Florida, Domincana & Dominican Republic
• 1980-01-28 USCGC Blackthorn (WLB-391) collides with the tanker Capricorn while leaving Tampa Florida and capsizes killing 23 Coast Guard crewmembers.
• 1980-03-01 Snow falls in Florida
• 1980-04-14 1st Cubans of the Mariel boatlift sail to Florida
• 1980-05-17 Major race riot in Miami, Florida - 16 killed, 300 injured
• 1982-01-13 Air Florida 737 took off in a snowstorm, crashes into 14th St Bridge in Washington, D.C., & falls into Potomac River, killing 78
• 1982-04-23 Conch Republic is established - secession of the Florida Keys from the United States of America
• 1982-10-01 EPCOT Center opens in Orlando, Florida

• 1983-12-25 1st live telecast of Christmas Parade at the EPCOT Centre, Disney World Florida
• 1985-01-22 Cold wave damages 90% of Florida's citrus crop
• 1985-07-03 Tinker Bell's first nightly flight at Walt Disney World Resort, Florida
• 1986-01-10 NASA's STS-61-C mission scrubbed T -9m because of bad weather at Florida's Kennedy Space Center

• 1986-05-25 95-year-old woman scores a hole-in-one in Florida
• 1988-05-03 4,200 kg Colombian cocaine in seized at Tarpon Springs Florida
• 1988-05-19 Carlos Lehder Rivas, of Colombia's Medellin drug cartel, is convicted in Florida for smuggling more than 3 tons of cocaine into US
• 1988-06-30 Chicago agrees to build a new stadium so White Sox won't move to Florida
• 1988-07-08 Miami Arena opens in Miami, Florida
• 1989-01-29 Orlando Arena opens in Orlando, Florida
• 1989-03-21 1st sea test of Trident 2 missile self-destructs, Cape Canaveral, Florida
• 1989-05-04 NASA launches Magellan probe to Venus from Space Shuttle Atlantis
• 1990-06-10 Rap group "2 Live Crew" members arrested in Florida for obscenity
• 1990-06-22 Florida passes a law which prohibits wearing a thong bathing suit
• 1990-07-03 Members of 2 Live Crew formally charged with obscenity in Florida
• 1990-08-26 2 murdered college students found in Gainesville, Florida
• 1990-09-15 Florida lottery goes over $100,000,000
• 1990-10-03 Florida record store owner Charles Freeman is found guilty of obscenity, for selling records by the rap group "2 Live Crew"
• 1990-10-20 3 members of 2 Live Crew acquitted on obsenity charges in Florida
• 1991-06-10 South Florida and Denver picked for 1993 NL franchises
• 1991-07-26 Actor Paul Reubens (Pee-wee Herman) is arrested for exposing himself at an adult movie theater in Sarasota, Florida

• 1992-04-09 Florida drops rape charges against NY Mets Gooden, Boston & Coleman
• 1992-08-24 Hurricane Andrew hits South Florida, making landfall at Elliott Key and later Homestead; 44 die and $25 billion in damage is recorded
• 1992-08-26 Hurricane Andrew makes landfall in Louisiana as Category 3 storm after causing deaths and severe damage in Florida
• 1993-11-15 13 Cuban refugees land in Florida after stealing a crop-duster in Cuba.
• 1993-12-11 59th Heisman Trophy Award: Charlie Ward, Florida State (QB)
• 1994-04-20 Danny Harold Rolling sentenced to death in Florida for killing 5
• 1994-05-16 Howard Stern Radio Show premieres in Orlando, Florida on WTKS 104.1 FM
• 1994-06-28 NHL Draft: Windsor Spitfires (OHL) defenceman Ed Jovanovski first pick by Florida Panthers
• 1994-09-03 Florida's Terry Dean tosses an NCAA football record 7 touchdown passes in the first half as the Gators roll to a 70-21 drubbing of New Mexico State
• 1995-05-28 Southwestern Florida outside of Tampa begins using new area code 941
• 1996-03-22 Cheryl Depew of Florida crowned 13th Miss Hawaiian Tropic International
• 1996-06-10 Stanley Cup Final, Miami Arena, Miami, Florida: Uwe Krupp's unassisted goal in triple-OT gives Colorado Avalanche a 1-0 win over Florida Panthers and a 4 game series sweep
• 1996-12-14 62nd Heisman Trophy Award: Danny Wuerffel, Florida (QB)
• 1997-05-12 Australian Susie Maroney becomes first to swim from Cuba to Florida
• 1997-10-01 Carolina Hurricanes lose franchise's debut NHL game, 4-2 to Tampa Bay Lightning at the Ice Palace, Tampa, Florida
• 1997-11-01 North Carolina State University wide receiver Torry Holt catches 5 touchdown passes in a 48-35 loss to Florida State at Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee
• 1997-12-12 Florida releases Alex Arias, the last original Marlin
• 1997-12-12 SWAT team shoots John E Armstrong in Florida, freeing 2 young hostages

• 1998-01-29 Singer Bobby Brown found guilty of DWI in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
• 1998-02-03 Florida Panther Dino Ciccarelli is 9th NHLer to score 600 career goals
• 1998-02-23 Tornadoes in Florida kills at least 31
• 1998-04-22 Disney's Animal Kingdom opens at Walt Disney World near Orlando, Florida, United States.
• 1998-05-21 In Miami, Florida, five abortion clinics are hit by a butyric acid attacker.
• 1999-07-08 Allen Lee Davis is executed by electrocution by the state of Florida, the last use of the electric chair for capital punishment in Florida
• 1999-10-02 #21 University of Alabama football team beats #3 Florida, 40-39 in overtime to snap the Gators' 30-game home win streak; future Seattle Seahawks running back Shaun Alexander crosses for 4 touchdowns for the Crimson Tide

• 1999-11-22 Elian Gonzalez, Cuban boy at the center of a heated 2000 controversy involving the governments of Cuba and the United States, and his mother are sighted off of Florida's coast by U.S. Coast Guard
• 2000-04-22 In a pre-dawn raid, federal agents seize six-year-old Elián González from his relatives' home in Miami, Florida.

• 2000-12-11 66th Heisman Trophy Award: Chris Weinke, Florida State (QB)

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Birthdays 101 - 200 of 561

• 1939-01-10 Scott McKenzie, American singer (San Francisco), born in Jacksonville Beach, Florida (d. 2012)
• 1939-01-20 Murle Breer, American golfer (US Women's Open 1962), born in St. Petersburg, Florida
• 1939-03-14 William Benjamin Lenoir, American astronaut (STS 5), born in Miami, Florida
• 1939-04-19 Clay Shaw, American politician (Rep-R-FL, 1981-2007), born in Miami, Florida (d. 2013)
• 1939-04-30 Ellen Taaffe Zwilich, American composer (1st woman composer to win Pulitzer Prize for Music, 1983), born in Miami, Florida
• 1939-05-01 Ray Aranha, American actor (Nick-Married People), born in Miami, Florida
• 1939-06-06 Gary U.S. Bonds [Anderson], American blues singer and songwriter (New Orleans), born in Jacksonville, Florida
• 1939-06-11 Wilma Burgess, American country-pop singer ("Baby"; "Misty Blue"), born in Orlando, Florida (d. 2003)
• 1939-06-13 Tom Cheek, American sportscaster (Voice of the Toronto Blue Jays), born in Pensacola, Florida (d. 2005)
• 1939-06-24 Henry Lawrence Garett III, American Secretary of the Navy (1989-92), born in Miami, Florida
• 1939-08-30 Elizabeth Ashley, American actress (Coma, Evening Shade), born in Ocala, Florida
• 1939-09-02 Bobby Purify [Dickey], American soul singer ("I'm Your Puppet"), born in Tallahassee, Florida (d. 2011)
• 1939-11-03 Terrence McNally, American playwright (Kiss of the Spider Woman), born in St Petersburg, Florida (d. 2020)
• 1939-11-15 Thalmus Rasulala [Jack Crowder], actor (Blacula, Roots), born in Miami, Florida
• 1939-12-09 Patricia Stephens Due, African-American civil rights activist (FAMU jail-in), born in Quincy, Florida (d. 2012)
• 1939-12-20 Kathryn Joosten, American actress (Desperate Housewives), born in Chicago, Illinois (d. 2012)

• 1940-08-14 Galen Hall, American Football Coach (University of Florida, Orlando Thunder, Rhein Fire), born in Altoona, Pennsylvania
• 1940-09-05 Lewis Spratlan, American classical composer and Pulitzer Prize winner (Life Is A Dream), born in Miami, Florida (d. 2023)
• 1940-09-21 Bill Kurtis, American newscaster (American Parade), born in Pensacola, Florida

• 1941-04-16 Cliff Stearns, American businessman and politician (Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida), born in Washington, D.C.
• 1941-04-25 Lawrence J. Smith, American politician, U.S. House of Representatives from Florida (1983-93), born in Brooklyn, New York
• 1942-01-29 Robin Morgan, American poet, author, political theorist, academic, and former child actor (Dagmar-Mama), born in Lake Worth, Florida
• 1942-03-06 Charles Tolliver, American jazz trumpeter (Impact), born in Jacksonville, Florida
• 1942-05-30 Dan Miller, American politician (Rep-R-Florida 1993-2003), born in Highland Park, Michigan
• 1942-09-17 Robert Graysmith, American Zodiac killer researcher and author, born in Pensacola, Florida
• 1942-12-20 Bob Hayes, American athlete (Olympic gold 100m, 4x100m relay 1964) and Pro Football Hall of Fame receiver (3 x Pro Bowl; Dallas Cowboys), born in Jacksonville, Florida (d. 2002)
• 1943-01-30 Davey Johnson, American baseball second baseman (4 × MLB All-Star; World Series 1966, 70 Baltimore Orioles) and manager (World Series 1986 NY Mets), born in Orlando, Florida
• 1943-06-08 William Calley Jr., American war criminal, convicted by court-martial of murdering 22 unarmed South Vietnamese civilians in the My Lai Massacre, born in Miami, Florida (d. 2024)
• 1943-07-03 Norman Thagard, American scientist and astronaut (STS 7, 51-B, 30, 42, 71, Mir), born in Marianna, Florida
• 1943-07-31 Lobo [Roland Kent Lavoie], American pop singer-songwriter ("Me and You and a Dog Named Boo"; "A Big Red Kite"), born in Tallahassee, Florida
• 1943-08-21 Hugh Wilson, American screenwriter, film director The First Wives Club; Blast from the Past), and TV series creator (WKRP in Cincinnati; Frank's Place), born in Miami, Florida (d. 2018)
• 1943-08-28 Lou Piniella, American baseball outfielder (1969 AL rookie of the year TEST) and manager (NY Yankees, Seattle Mariners), born in Tampa, Florida
• 1943-09-17 Samuel T. Durrance, American scientist and astronaut (STS 35, STS 67), born in Tallahassee, Florida
• 1943-10-21 Paula Kelly, American dancer, choreographer, and actress (Night Court, 1984 - "Liz"), born in Jacksonville, Florida (d. 2020)

• 1943-12-12 Dickey Betts, American rock guitarist, songwriter, and singer (The Allman Brothers Band - "Ramblin' Man"; "Jessica"), born in West Palm Beach, Florida (d. 2024) [1]
• 1944-01-23 Jerry Lawson, American a cappella singer and arranger (Persuasions - "Under the Boardwalk"), born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida (d. 2019)
• 1944-02-04 Daniel Mica, American politician (Rep-D-Florida, 1979-89), born in Binghamton, New York
• 1944-05-25 Bob Payton, American pizza magnate (The Chicago Pizza Pie Factory), born in Miami, Florida (d. 1994)
• 1944-07-12 Bill McCollum Jr., American lawyer and politician (U.S. House of Representatives from Florida), born in Brooksville, Florida

• 1945-07-30 David Sanborn, American Grammy Award-winning jazz and session saxophonist (David Bowie - "Young Americans"; David Letterman Show), born in Tampa, Florida (d. 2024) [1]
• 1945-08-22 James G Richardson, actor (Tim Cassidy-Sierra), born in Gainesville, Florida
• 1945-10-21 Everett McGill, actor (Jezebel's Kiss, Silver Bullet), born in Miami, Florida
• 1946-02-02 Howard Bellamy, American pop and country vocalist (Bellamy Bros - "Let Your Love Flow"), born in Darby, Florida
• 1946-08-24 Richard N. Richards, American naval officer and astronaut (STS 28, 41, 50, 64), born in Key West, Florida
• 1946-10-10 Ben Vereen, American Tony Award-winning actor, singer, and dancer (Jesus Christ Superstar; Pippin; Roots; Tenspeed and Brown Shoe; Webster), born in Miami, Florida
• 1946-11-05 Gram Parsons [Cecil Ingram Connor III], American country-rock singer-songwriter (Byrds - Sweethearts of the Rodeo; Flying Burrito Brothers; "Grievous Angel"), born in Winter Haven, Florida (d. 1973)
• 1946-11-11 Corrine Brown, American politician convicted on corruption charges (Rep-D-Florida 1993-2017), born in Jacksonville, Florida
• 1946-12-10 Walter Orange, American rocker (Commodores-Too Hot to Trot), born in Florida
• 1947-05-11 (Claude) "Butch" Trucks, American drummer (The Allman Brothers Band - "Whipping Post"), born in Jacksonville, Florida (d. 2017)
• 1947-09-21 Don Felder, American rock guitarist and songwriter (The Eagles, 1974-2001 - "Hotel California"), born in Gainesville, Florida
• 1947-10-09 Tony Zappone, American broadcaster and journalist, born in Tampa, Florida
• 1947-11-03 Joe Lala, American drummer, percussionist, singer ("Blues Image"), and actor, born in Ybor City, Florida (d. 2014)
• 1947-12-10 Douglas Kenney, American humorist (co-founded the magazine National Lampoon), born in West Palm Beach, Florida (d. 1980)
• 1948-01-15 Ronnie Van Zant, American rock musician (Lynyrd Skynyrd - "Gimme Three Steps"), born in Jacksonville, Florida (d. 1977)
• 1948-07-21 John Hart, American Major League Baseball executive (Cleveland Indians, Texas Rangers, Atlanta Braves), born in Tampa, Florida
• 1948-08-17 Bo Rucker, American actor (Superman, Soup for One, Lock Up), born in Tampa, Florida
• 1948-10-16 Jim Ed Norman [Edward James Norman], American musician and record producer, born in Fort Myers, Florida

• 1948-12-31 Joe Dallesandro, American actor (Heat, Trash, AW Frankenstein), born in Pensacola, Florida
• 1949-01-14 Lawrence Kasdan, American screenwriter and director (Accidental Tourist), born in Miami, Florida
• 1949-03-28 Michael W. Young, American geneticist noted for work studying circadian rhythms (Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, 2017), born in Miami, Florida
• 1949-04-15 Craig Zadan, American film producer, born in Miami, Florida
• 1949-06-21 Jim Bacchus, American politician (Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida), born in Nashville, Tennessee
• 1949-08-13 Sheralee, American vocalist (Your Hit Parade, 1974-75), born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
• 1949-11-06 Brad Davis, American actor (Roots, Chiefs, Midnight Express), born in Tallahassee, Florida (d. 1991)
• 1949-12-22 Michael Osborne, American rock guitarist and vocalist (Axe), born in Florida (d. 1984)
• 1950-02-01 Mike Campbell, American rock guitarist (Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers - "Breakdown"), and producer, born in Panama City, Florida
• 1950-02-18 Bruce Kison, American baseball pitcher (World Series 1971, 79), born in Bradenton, Florida (d. 2018)

• 1950-08-06 Winston E Scott, USN Commander/astronaut (STS 72, 87), born in Miami, Florida
• 1950-09-16 David Bellamy, American singer (The Bellamy Brothers - "Let Your Love Flow"), born in Darby, Florida
• 1950-10-06 Thomas McClary, American soul guitarist and singer (The Commodores), born in Eustis, Florida

• 1950-11-01 Dan Peek, American rock vocalist and guitarist (America), born in Panama City, Florida (d. 2011)
• 1950-11-24 Bob Burns, American rock drummer (Lynyrd Skynyrd, 1964-74), born in Jacksonville, Florida (d. 2015)
• 1950-11-30 Kathryn Witt, American actress (Lenny; Flying High - "Pam"), born in Miami, Florida
• 1950-12-08 Jimmy Farrar, American rock vocalist (Molly Hatchet), born in LaGrange, Georgia
• 1951-01-31 KC [Harry Wayne Casey], American disco and funk singer-songwriter and producer (KC & the Sunshine Band - "That's the Way (I Like It)"; "Get Down Tonight"), born in Opa-locka, Florida
• 1951-03-14 Rigdon "Rick" Dees, American actor, voice artist and radio disc jock (The Rick Dees Weekly Top 40 Countdown), born in Jacksonville, Florida
• 1951-07-20 Larry Black, 4x100 runner (Olympic gold 1972), born in Miami, Florida
• 1951-08-24 Danny Joe Brown, American rock singer (Molly Hatchet), born in Jacksonville, Florida (d. 2005)
• 1951-08-28 Dave Hlubek, American rock guitarist (Molly Hatchet), born in Jacksonville, Florida (d. 2017)
• 1951-09-07 Mark McCumber, American golfer (10 PGA Tour titles; Tour C'ship 1994), born in Jacksonville, Florida
• 1951-10-04 Truck Robinson, American basketball forward (NBA All-Star 1978, 81; New Orleans Jazz; NBA rebound leader 1978), born in Jacksonville, Florida
• 1951-10-09 Richard Chaves, American actor (Cease Fire, Predator), born in Jacksonville, Florida
• 1951-12-04 Gary Rossington, American rock guitarist, slide-guitar player, and songwriter (Lynyrd Skynyrd; Rossington-Collins Band), born in Jacksonville, Florida (d. 2023)
• 1952-06-11 Donnie Van Zant, American rock vocalist (.38 Special), born in Jacksonville, Florida
• 1952-07-15 Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, American politician (1st Cuban American elected to Congress, Rep-R-Florida 1989-2019), born in Havana, Cuba
• 1952-09-25 Jimmy Garvin [James Williams], American professional NWA/WCW/AWA wrestler, born in Tampa, Florida
• 1952-10-01 Jacques Martin, Canadian NHL coach, executive (Ottawa Senators, Florida Panthers, Montreal Canadiens), born in Rockland, Ontario

• 1953-05-16 Rick Rhoden, American baseball pitcher (MLB All-Star (1976, 86; Silver Slugger Award 1984–86; LA Dodgers, Pittsburgh Pirates, NY Yankees), born in Boynton Beach, Florida
• 1953-06-01 Diana Canova, American actress (Corrine-Soap), born in West Palm Beach, Florida
• 1953-06-14 David Thomas, American singer and songwriter (Pere Ubu), born in Miami, Florida

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