Bronze Sculpture of Franklin Roosevelt
Franklin Roosevelt in 1943 became the first President to fly in an airplane. He flew from Miami, Florida, to Morocco to meet with Winston Churchill. He left Miami on January 11 and flew to the Caribbean, then along the coast of South America, and then across the Atlantic Ocean. The return trip took several days because he spent time with military troops.
A. G. MacDonald in 1905 drove an automobile for the first time faster than 100 miles per hour. The speed trial was located in Daytona Beach, Florida.
Confederate States of America came into being in 1861. Representatives from seven states (Texas, South Carolina, Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, and Georgia) met in Montgomery, Alabama, to start the formation of the Confederacy.
National Cabbage Day is today! A vegetable grown in even ancient times, the cabbage is a nutritious, versatile vegetable. The largest cabbage grown weighed 138 pounds 4 ounces! The world’s biggest producers of cabbage are China, India, Russia, South Korea, and Ukraine. In the United States, the biggest producers are California, New York, Florida, and Wisconsin. Idea: Children could research the health benefits of cabbage.
Florida became a part of the United States in 1819. The Adams-Onis Treaty, also called the Transcontinental Treaty, the Florida Treaty, and the Florida Purchase Treaty, defined the border between New Spain and the United States. The treaty took effect July 17, 1821. Spain gave the land to the United States if the United States assumed five million dollars of claims of American citizens against Spain. Older children can read the text of the treaty at: Adams-Onis Treaty.
Flag of Florida
Florida became the twenty-seventh state of the United States in 1845. Juan Ponce de Leon named the state Pasqua Florida, Easter festival of the flowers. The state capital is Tallahassee, and the state’s nickname is the Sunshine State. It ranks twenty-second in area and third in population. Most of the state is just above sea level. It is home to the Kennedy Space Center and Lake Okeechobee. Children could visit an Internet site at: Florida. They could also design a brochure regarding tourism in the state.
Artist’s Conception of Kepler Space Observatory
Kepler Space Telescope was launched from Florida in 2009. Named after the German astronomer Johannes Kepler, the observatory searched for earth-like planets in other parts of the galaxy. Before it was decommissioned on October 30, 2018, it had provided more information than any observatory on earth. The Kepler Space Telescope and other instruments have located at least 5312 new exoplanets. Children can participate in some interactives at: Kepler Space Telescope.
Juan Ponce de Leon discovered Florida in 1513. He had been on Columbus’s second voyage to the New World. Later he was commissioned by King Ferdinand to find Bimini, a legendary island that held the fountain of youth. At first Ponce de Leon thought Florida was an island. Because the area grew such lush vegetation, Ponce de Leon named it Florida, meaning full of flowers. He was killed by natives in 1521 when he tried to return to Florida to establish a colony. Children can learn more at: Ponce de Leon.
Walter Poenisch completed his swim from Cuba to Florida, a distance of 128.8 miles, in 1978. He had started several days earlier. The first man to successfully swim that distance, Poenisch was observing his 65th birthday!
Florida was ceded to the United States by Spain in 1821. The Adams-Onis Treaty (also called the Transcontinental Treaty) had been signed in 1819, but the treaty took effect on this day in 1821. The United States agreed to give Spain $5 million and to renounce any claims on Texas in exchange for West Florida and East Florida. Children could learn more about Florida’s history at: Florida.