1. In 1843, Key West, Florida was officially declared a United States port of entry, opening up the city to trade and new opportunities.

2. On September 7, 1936, the famous writer Zora Neale Hurston's novel "Their Eyes Were Watching God" was first published. The novel is set in Florida and explores the experiences of a young African American woman in the early 1900s.

3. In 1968, the first Walt Disney World property purchased outside of the original theme park's location was acquired in Florida. The property would eventually become the site of Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park.

4. On September 7, 1995, Hurricane Erin made landfall in Florida, causing significant damage to homes and businesses throughout the state.

5. In 2013, NASA's Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) spacecraft was successfully launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The mission was designed to study the Red Planet's upper atmosphere and the history of the presence of water on Mars.