1. In 1842, the Dade Massacre occurred near present-day Bushnell, Florida. Seminole warriors ambushed and killed Major Francis Langhorne Dade and his troops, sparking the Second Seminole War.

2. On August 16, 1868, the Florida Constitution was adopted, following the state's re-admission to the Union after the Civil War.

3. The Florida State Prison in Raiford was established on August 16, 1913. It is still in operation today and is one of the largest maximum-security prisons in the United States.

4. In 1987, the Sunshine Skyway Bridge over Tampa Bay was struck by a freighter, causing a portion of the bridge to collapse and several vehicles to plunge into the water. 35 people died in the disaster.

5. On August 16, 2006, the first Waste-to-Energy facility opened in West Palm Beach, Florida. The facility converts solid waste into energy and has the capacity to power 40,000 homes.