1. In 1565, the Spanish explorer Pedro Menendez de Aviles established the first permanent European settlement in what is now the United States at St. Augustine, Florida.

2. In 1862, the Battle of Cedar Mountain was fought near Culpeper, Virginia, during the American Civil War. Several Florida units took part in the battle on the side of the Confederacy.

3. In 1944, during World War II, the first of nearly 300,000 prisoners of war arrived in Florida to be held at various camps across the state. Many of these prisoners were German soldiers who had been captured on the battlefields of North Africa and Europe.

4. In 1974, President Richard Nixon resigned from office following the Watergate scandal. At the time of his resignation, Nixon was staying at his vacation home in Key Biscayne, Florida.

5. In 2004, Hurricane Charley made landfall in Florida, causing extensive damage in the southwestern part of the state. The hurricane was responsible for 10 deaths and over $15 billion in damage.