1. In 1553, Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto and his crew landed in Florida on March 14, becoming the first Europeans to set foot in the state.

2. On March 14, 1885, Florida Governor Edward Perry signed a bill that established Florida State University in Tallahassee, originally named the Florida State College.

3. In 1968, on March 14, NASA launched the Gemini 8 spacecraft from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The mission marked the first docking of two spacecraft in orbit.

4. On March 14, 1980, the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in Tampa Bay collapsed after being struck by a freighter, killing 35 people. The bridge was later rebuilt and reopened in 1987.

5. On March 14, 1995, Florida became the last state in the United States to make it illegal to operate a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol with a blood alcohol level of 0.08 or above.