1. In 1826, William Pope Duval was appointed as the first governor of Florida by President John Quincy Adams. He served as governor until 1834, during which time he played a significant role in the state's territorial history.

2. On February 17, 1864, the Battle of Olustee was fought near Lake City in northern Florida. It was the largest battle of the American Civil War to take place in Florida, with Confederate forces under General Joseph Finegan defeating Union forces under General Truman Seymour.

3. In 1879, James Weldon Johnson was born in Jacksonville, Florida. He would go on to become a prominent civil rights activist and writer, best known for his poetry and work on behalf of the NAACP.

4. The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus made its Florida debut on February 17, 1927, in Miami. The circus would go on to become a beloved institution in the state, with its winter headquarters located in Sarasota.

5. On February 17, 1970, the first student strike in the history of the University of Florida took place. Students were protesting the suspension of seven members of the Black Student Union, and the strike eventually resulted in the suspension of classes for several days.