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)
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.
Be sure to check out a few of the featured sites around the state below as well.
MUSEUMS
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.
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 (Potackee) and Sidney Poitier.
Here's to The Sunshine State!
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