1. In 2018, Hurricane Michael hit the Florida Panhandle, causing widespread devastation and becoming the strongest hurricane ever to make landfall in the area.
2. On October 11, 1949, the University of Miami hosted its first-ever homecoming football game at the Orange Bowl Stadium, defeating the University of South Carolina 20-0.
3. The Florida Museum of Natural History opened its doors in Gainesville on October 11, 1891, and has since grown to become one of the largest natural history museums in the southeastern United States.
4. In 1917, the town of Moore Haven was founded on the banks of Lake Okeechobee in South Florida, named after James A. Moore, an early settler of the area who served as mayor of the town for more than 20 years.
5. On this day in 1985, Route 528 (also known as the Martin Andersen Beachline Expressway) was opened to traffic in central Florida, connecting the Orlando area with Port Canaveral and the Atlantic coast.