1. In 1513, Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León reportedly landed on Florida's east coast. It is believed that he named the state "La Florida," which means "land of flowers."

2. On October 31, 1702, the French and their Native American allies attacked the Spanish settlement of St. Augustine in what is now Florida. The siege lasted for more than two months, but the Spanish ultimately repelled the attack.

3. In 1825, the first stagecoach service began operating in Florida between Tallahassee and St. Augustine. The journey took four days and cost $25.

4. On October 31, 1864, the Battle of Boyd's Landing took place during the American Civil War. Confederate forces under General Joseph Finegan successfully repelled Union forces, resulting in minimal casualties for the Confederacy.

5. In 1962, the first satellite communication between the United States and Europe was established at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The communication was made possible by the Telstar satellite, which was launched by NASA earlier that year.