Saturday, January 25, 2020

January 25 - National Florida Day


Happy National Florida Day! Today we observe the 27th state to join the union back on March 3, 1845.

Located in the southeasternmost U.S. states, with the Atlantic on one side and the Gulf of Mexico on the other, Florida has hundreds of miles of beaches. 

The city of Miami is known for its Latin-American cultural influences and notable arts scene, as well as its nightlife, especially in upscale South Beach. Orlando is famed for theme parks, including Walt Disney World.

Florida is home to the oldest established city in the country.  With over four hundred years of history, St. Augustine’s streets and colonial architecture have stories to tell. 

Founded by Spanish explorers in 1565, visit the city and walk in the same footsteps as 16th-century bishops, ponder the escapades of pirates and the whereabouts of lost gold and learn about the lives of European settlers.

East and West Florida became the 14th and 15th British Colonies after the end of the French and Indian War in 1763. However, in 1783, after the end of the American Revolutionary War, The Treaty of Paris returned Florida to Spain.

The present-day borders of Florida were absorbed through two transactions: The Louisiana Purchase in 1803 brought East Florida with it (but not without dispute from the French) and through a U.S. intervention in an uprising in West Florida in 1812, causing West Florida to join the Mississippi Territory.

"You can't get away from yourself by moving from one place to another." ~Ernest Hemingway, The Sun Also Rises (1926)

Sun and Space

With an average high temperature of 79.5°F, it should be no surprise that Floridian John Gorrie brought refrigeration and air conditioning to the world in 1851. 

Add to that, more than half the year with partly cloudy to sunny days, the invention of sunblock would be a necessity, too. 

In 1944, Hungarian-born Americxan pharmacist and inventor Benjamin Green invented a sunscreen which later became a tanning lotion known as Coppertone®.

Launching astronauts into space, Cape Canaveral and the Kennedy Space Center in Brevard County, Cape Canaveral and the home of the Kennedy Space Center in Brevard County has come a long way from its first launch in 1950. 

From Appollo missions to Hubble Telescopes and Mars Rovers, Cape Canaveral continues missions well into the future. Missions include commercial ventures including SpaceX launches. 

Florida offers more than enough to do and see. From man-made worlds and relaxing beaches to long, colorful and intricate history, the state's open spaces and sunny faces require more than one visit. 

For a complete list of Florida State and National Parks and historic sites, please visit the websites below.

Manatee Springs State Park – Chiefland  
Colt Creek State Park – Lakeland  
Don Pedro Island State Park – Cape Haze  
Hugh Taylor Birch State Park – Ft. Lauderdale  
Canaveral National Seashore – Titusville & New Smyrna Beach  
Everglades National Park – Miami, Naples & Homestead  

Be sure to check out a few of the featured sites around the state below as well.

MUSEUMS  
Salvador Dali Museum – St. Petersburg  
Museum of Florida History – Tallahassee  
Castillo de San Marcos – St. Augustine  
Bok Tower Gardens – Lake Wales  
Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse – Ponce Inlet  
Villa Vizcaya – Miami

HOW TO OBSERVE

Join National Day Calendar® as they dig into Florida’s sunny beaches and rich history. Seek buried treasures and explore all of Florida’s fascinating culture! Look to the past or look to the future and use #NationalFloridaDay to share on social media.

Hidden Treasures

Coral Castle Museum – Homestead  
Weeki Wachee Springs State Park – Spring Hill  
Robert the Doll – Key West  
Lichgate on High Road – Tallahassee 

We also observe these famous figures born in Florida of whom are still recognized today for their past accomplishments, heroics, talents, ingenuity and innovations: James Weldon Johnson, A. Philip Randolph, Augusta Savage, Lillian Smith, Jacqueline "Jackie" Cochran, George Smoot, Joseph Kittinger, Janet Reno, Tom Petty, Betty Mae Tiger Jumper (Potackeeand Sidney Poitier.

Visit the link below to see those of notable birth who were not mentioned on the list above.
  
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_people_from_Florida

Here's to The Sunshine State!

#NationalFloridaDay 
@WaltDisneyWorld 
@FloridaGators 
@ExploreSpaceKSC
@coppertone 
@nichecinema

No comments:

Post a Comment